Golden Scales
by chilledmochi
Summary: "Sozin started the tradition of hunting dragons for glory. They were the ultimate firebenders. And if you could conquer one, your firebending talents would become legendary and you'd earn the honorary title, Dragon. The last great dragon was conquered long before I was born, by my uncle...or, at least, that's what I'd thought. Until I found her."
1. It feels somehow alive

**hello~! so when i saw the episode _'The Firebending Masters',_ this idea just slapped me in the face, haha,**

 **well i hope you like it**

 **enjoy~ c:**

* * *

 **Prologue**

* * *

Darkness blanketed the sky as the last rays of the sun disappeared, replaced by the pale silvery glow of the stars and the thin sliver of the moon.

Night had arrived.

Small fingers clutched desperately at the mountain side, and the trembling body of a young child could be seen in the dim glow.

Fear threatened to shut her down, her breaths coming in quick, rapid gasps, sending clouds of darkness to gather at the edges of her vision. But she couldn't stop now. She'd been through too much and had come too far to give up now.

Her skin was bruised and scraped from scaling the mountain, and the burn scars that covered her body were aching. But she ignored her wounds and lifted her arm, grasping at the ledge above her.

No, she wouldn't let a little fear keep her from fulfilling her mission.

Sweat trickled down her brow and she winced as it dripped into a cut. She moved her head to wipe her face on her shoulder before catching sight of the ground, glittering coldly several hundred feet below, with nothing but rocks and dirt to catch her if she fell.

With a shudder she tore her gaze away, focusing instead on the cave that yawned over her head not a few handholds and boosts away.

She grit her teeth as she forced her fatigued body to drag her slowly up the mountainside, bit by bit until she grasped the edge of the cave and hauled herself onto the shelf of rock.

A low groan escaped her lips as she laid there, her over-worked body wracked with miniature convulsions as she tried to relax her cramped muscles.

Suddenly, a low growl filled the cave, sending vibrations through the rock.

She tensed, staring into the pitch-black mouth of the cave with wide eyes, unable to move away or defend herself from the unseen danger.

And as she watched, a pair of cat-like golden eyes materialized in the shadows, and then the world went black.

* * *

 **Chapter One:**

 **It feels...somehow alive**

* * *

Prince Zuko let out a long sigh as the sun beat down harshly overhead, making the land around him quiver and roll like ocean waves. The straw hat on his head helped, but not nearly enough.

The ostrich-horse squawked in alarm as it tripped underneath him and nearly sent the two sprawling across the dry Earth Kingdom dirt before it regained its balance _._ Zuko grimaced, pausing a moment to rub at his sore eyes before flicking the reins, and with sluggish steps, it started forward again.

The smell of something cooking wafted up towards him and his stomach growled loudly. With narrowed eyes he scoured the land around him, stopping on a small fire with meat roasting over it. There was a man in Earth Kingdom garb tending to it, and the prince could feel the saliva pooling in his mouth at the thought of sinking his teeth into the glorious looking meat.

He pulled the ostrich-horse to a stop and reached towards his dual swords. His Uncle's words about stealing were in the furthest corner of his mind, shoved back behind the urge to eat and fill his empty stomach.

Though movement caught his eyes and he turned his gaze to rest on a woman with a large belly, obviously very pregnant, and watched as the two exchanged loving smiles at each other, with both their hands resting on her swollen stomach.

Wordlessly, he took his hand off his swords and urged the ostrich-horse on.

.

The landscape never seemed to change, remaining bleak, brown, and barren with dry patches over grass every now and then. Though there was one thing the caught his attention and caused him to pull his steed to a stop for the second time that afternoon.

There was another ostrich-horse, but unlike the one he rode on, this one was at the bottom of a steep cliff, and very much dead.

And it looked like it had some supplies with it.

With a strange feeling in his gut he dismounted, tying the reins to a dead tree on the side of the path, and making his way down the cliff.

It was slow going, but he had no intention of ending up like that ostrich-horse.

He was nearly to the bottom when he slipped. With a gasp, he frantically raked his fingers over the cliff, trying to find a handhold as he slid, but ended up tumbling down the rest of the way and landing hard on his back at the bottom _._

He coughed, spitting out dirt before rolling over onto his side. He was sore, but he didn't seem to have broken any bones. That was good at least.

He grit his teeth. Why did he even come down here in the first place? He could have died just because his curiosity got a head of him. How _stupid._

Oh right, the supplies.

An aggravated huff left him as he got to his feet, sending a disgusted glare at the dead ostrich-horse.

But as he looked, his eyes caught onto a medium-sized chest beside the animal and he walked forward cautiously. As he came closer to inspect it, he spotted a leg thrown over the creature's back. He jumped back with a start, whipping out his dual swords and holding them protectively in front of him. Though when the leg didn't move, he slowly inched forward, peering over the animal's body.

...It was a man.

Zuko shivered slightly as he sheathed his swords, turning away from the crumpled and broken body to look back down at the chest. A part of him wanted to run back up the cliff and leave the bodies far behind, but instead he crouched down in front of the chest. He needed supplies, and he wasn't sure when the next town would pop up.

It was locked of course, but he retrieved one of his swords, and with a quick chop, the mangled lock fell to the ground, sending up a puff of dust that nearly made him sneeze.

He crinkled his nose, reaching over to the lid, wondering what the man had been hiding. Food? He certainly hoped so, but that wasn't realistic, it was probably gold and jewels. Maybe even water if he was lucky. Water sounded really nice right then.

A sharp golden light hit him as he opened the lid all the way and he winced, throwing his arms up to cover his eyes.

He squinted, lowing his arms a bit to see the cause behind the blinding light.

Well he was right on one of his assumptions.

A bright, shiny golden egg-like thing lay in the chest, reflecting the sun so that it had shone ferociously when he opened the chest.

Impressed, he reached forward and lifted it into his hands, marveling at the size and intricate markings.

He noticed then, that something felt different about the golden egg-thing. Something that caused fire to flicker and stir deep inside of him, as if reacting to the golden artifact in his hands. And as he knelt there, he could swear he felt it heat up in his hands, reaching out to the flames that raced through his veins with invisible fingers.

"It feels...somehow alive."

.

Everything was dark.

It surrounded her, holding her close like invisible arms.

She was nothing, and everything at the same time. She had no body. She had no thoughts. She just _was._

Then without warning, a light shone through the darkness, followed by a warmth that filled her up and made her whole. It was a strange feeling, so comforting and alive. It was as if she was waking up from a deep slumber, and she found herself reaching for it. For the source of the light and warmth.

And for the first time in what seemed like forever, she opened her eyes.

* * *

 ** **i'd love to hear what you think, so feel free to leave a review!****

 **thanks for reading, see you next chapter~! ^-^**


	2. My name is Zuko

**the wonderfully polite request for another chapter helped me find the time to get this done today**

 **just so you know, reviews totally inspire me to write *eyebrow waggle***

 **enjoy~ c:**

* * *

 **Chapter Two:**

 **My name is Zuko**

* * *

She couldn't see much through the golden tinted light that shone through...through...where was she exactly?

A shadow crossed over the light and she jerked slightly, watching with wide eyes as what appeared to be a giant hand floated over her golden sky.

Was it a sky?

She reached forward, brushing a talon against the hard golden surface. No, it wasn't a-

Wait a minute…

Talon?

She stared down at herself, at her limbs, which ended in tiny sharp talons, and her body which was long and curled and golden. At least, it seemed golden from the light. And were those wings?

 _But that isn't…I should have hands and fingers and toes...right?_

Though even as that thought crossed her mind she shook it off in confusion. Why would she have those?

Before she could think longer on the matter, everything shifted outside of her...egg. Yes, egg seemed right. And she was plunged into darkness.

A chill ran through her body and immediately she wanted to go back to the warm light. She tried to turn and twist her body, in hope that whoever it was she had seen, would notice and take her back to that light.

But even the slightest twist to her body sent a wave of exhaustion through her, and she settled down, staring around at the darkness that cradled her once more. But this time, it was less like being held, and more like she was suffocating.

.

Zuko frowned down at the large lump in the saddlebag he had strapped to the ostrich-horse.

He had felt the jolt from the egg-stone when he first touched it. It couldn't have been just his imagination, right?

He scowled, untying the reins from the tree and pulling himself back onto the steed. He was hungry and tired and hot and trying to puzzle over the egg-stone wasn't helping.

With a flick of the reins he maneuvered the animal on, the sun seeming to batter down on him all the more, now that his thoughts were filled with something new.

His attention was captured by a suspicious looking bridge ahead of them and he gritted his teeth, not liking the way it creaked and swaying when the stepped onto it.

There was a loud cracking sound and the ostrich-horse nearly fell as it's leg broke through one of the wooden planks. With a startled cry, he somehow managed to get the animal out of the hole and continued more carefully to the other side.

Even with the straw hat that protected him from most of the sun's rays, he felt his vision start to blur and sway. He jerked himself up, shaking his head to try to dispel the fatigue.

For a moment, an image of his mother flashed through his mind, and he shook his head again in confusion.

As he reached the crest of a hill in the yellow grasses, he noticed a little Earth Kingdom town down below and headed toward it.

He followed a little dirt trail into the town, ignoring the looks he received from several men in uniforms as he passed them.

The whole place seemed nearly empty an entirely unfriendly, but he needed supplies.

His eyes fell on a small shop and he stopped, sliding off the ostrich-horse and stepped up to the counter. "Can I get some water, a bag of feed, and something hot to eat?" He asked the man, placing several silver coins down.

"That's not enough for a hot meal. I can get ya water and two bags of feed." The man offered, and Zuko's mind flashed back to the golden stone-egg in the saddlebag. With that he could probably get enough hot meals for an entire army. But at the idea an ugly feeling twisted in his gut and he sighed, nodding to the man as he slipped into the store to get the feed and water.

A scuffling noise drew his attention to two dirty little boys as they crept up beside the counter and threw an egg into the group of uniformed men before turning and sprinting away.

"Hey!" One of the men called out, but they didn't seem to notice the two boys as they walked up behind Zuko. "You throwin' eggs at us, stranger?"

"No." He said simply, his eyes still trained on the shop.

The man narrowed his eyes. "You see who did throw it?"

"No." Zuko turned to face them then, his hand moving unconsciously to grip the sword handle at his waist.

"That your favorite word? No?" One of the men sneered.

"Egg had to come from somewhere." The leader growled.

"Maybe a chicken flew over." Zuko suggested, turning back around.

One of the men laughed, but the leader silenced him with a glare. The shopkeeper came back out with his bags of feed, but the leader of the uniformed men grabbed them, tossing them to the other men. "Thanks for your contribution. The army appreciates your support. You better leave town. The penalty for staying is a lot steeper than you can afford, stranger."

Zuko watched with narrowed eyes as they left, fingers itching with the temptation to chase them down.

"Those soldiers are supposed to protect us from the Fire Nation," the shopkeeper sighed, "but they're just a bunch of thugs."

Zuko turned away, and was about to mount his ostrich-horse again when the little boy from earlier who had thrown the egg popped up on the other side of the creature.

"Thanks for not ratting me out." He said with a smile, showing off his crooked front teeth.

Zuko said nothing as he mounted and began to ride away. The boy watched him with a frown, then smiled as he ran in front of him and took the reins in his hand.

"I'll take you home and feed your ostrich-horse for you." He offered. "C'mon. I owe you." He lead them down the street.

As they neared the boy's house, the penned pigs along the dirt track began making a racket, and the boy looked up at him with a grin. "No one can ever sneak up on us."

"No kidding." Zuko replied as he hopped off his steed and the boy took it toward the stabes. A tall man in Earth Kingdom garb walked up to Zuko.

"You a friend of Lee's?" He asked, and Lee bounded out of the stable towards his father.

"This guy just stood up to the soldiers!" He exclaimed, grinning. "By the end, he practically had them running away!"

"Does this guy have a name?" A kind voice asked, and a women came up to them, wiping her hands on a kitchen towel.

"I'm...uh..." He hesitated. He should have thought this would happen. He couldn't just spout out he was Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation. Though luckily he was saved by Lee's father.

"He doesn't have to say who he is if he doesn't want to, Ceila." He said to the woman, who must have been his wife. "Anyone who can stand his own against those bully soldiers is welcome here. Those men should be ashamed to wear Earth Kingdom uniforms."

"The real soldiers are off fighting the war." Ceila said quietly. "Like Lee's big brother, Sen Su." She let out a sigh before looking up at Zuko with a kind smile. "Supper's going to be ready soon. Would you like to stay?"

Zuko stiffened, his desire for food and the urge to keep moving battled each other in his mind. As much as he wanted to, he could just eat their food and leave. He looked away. "I can't. I should be moving on."

Ceila watching him with knowing eyes. "Gonju could use some help on the barn. Why don't you two work for awhile, and then we'll eat."

He sighed inwardly before giving her a hesitant nod and following Gonju onto the roof of the stable. He tried hammering thatched shingles on, but after several bent nails it was obvious he didn't know what he was doing.

"You don't see, like you're from around here," Lee commented, watching him from the ladder.

"Mhm." Zuko affirmed, shaking his head.

"Where are you from then?"

"Far away."

"Ohh, where are you going?" Lee persisted.

Zuko glanced at him, not sure what to say before Lee's father answered for him. "Lee. Give it a rest. Stop asking the man personal questions."

The boy sighed. "Okay." He was silent for a moment, then asked, "So how'd you get that scar?"

With a jerk, Zuko accidentally slammed the hammer into his thumb and he growled.

Gonju stopped working to give his son a hard look. "It's not nice to bother people about things they

might not want to talk about. A man's past is his business." He turned back to the roof then and started hammering again. Zuko began again as well, silently thanking the man as a memory bubbled up from his subconscious, and he let himself be sucked into it.

.

She didn't like the dark.

There was a niggling sensation that told her she feared it, but she didn't know why she should fear something that couldn't hurt her.

She just didn't like it was all. It was cold and unmoving, and it stretched out endlessly before her, or it seemed to, until she reached out a talon and poked the wall of her egg.

Where were the hands that had woken her; that had brought her into the light? Did they abandon her? Was she left forgotten somewhere? Hidden away from the warmth forever?

A cold, uneasy feeling wormed its way through her body and curled around her heart, squeezing tightly until it just about burst.

Just then she felt her egg move, and she opened her eyes, staring into the darkness. Were the hands back? Would she see the light again?

A dim glow surrounded her, not as bright or golden as before, but it was still warm.

She wriggled happily, craning her neck as much as she could in the small space. The egg seemed to grow smaller as time went on, but maybe that was just her imagination.

But that didn't matter right now, because the light was back!

At her movement, the egg jerked, and she blinked in surprise as a weightless sensation passed through her before she was jolted again. What was that?

She squinted through the dim golden-orange glow, finding the outline of the same hands that had held her egg earlier.

Did the hands drop her egg? That was a little rude. But they caught her again, so it was okay.

She shuddered as her egg was hastily shoved into something, and the light disappeared. Once more leaving her in the suffocating darkness.

.

Zuko's eyes slid open, adjusting to the darkness of the barn Lee's parents had allowed him to sleep in. The movement that had woken him drew his eyes to the small figure that slipped out of the barn.

The prince looked over at his saddlebag, still bulging from the egg still inside it, and his thoughts returned to earlier that afternoon when he had brought out the egg when he was finally alone and it had jerked in his hands. He frowned lightly, did that mean it was an egg? He hadn't seen any eggs that size let alone color.

Then he noticed his Dao swords were missing, he quickly stood and followed after the small form from earlier.

The night glowed from the light of the moon as he stepped outside, illuminating Lee as the young boy hurried to the field of sunflowers, and Zuko followed him slowly, watching in amusement as the boy swung the swords choppily at the flowers.

"You're holding them all wrong." He commented mildly as the boy stabbed then into a dead tree trunk.

Lee fell over in surprise before getting to his feet, his face glowing with guilt as he handed the swords back to Zuko, the sunflower blossom on his head dipping as he hung his head.

"Keep in mind these are duel swords," he instucted, lifting the in front of his face. "Two halves of a single weapon." With a graceful form he spun the swords around him. "Don't think of them as separate, because they're not. Just two different parts of the same whole."

He handed them back to Lee, who followed his movements and attacked the tree once more, sending a dead branch flying into the night.

Zuko gave him a nod and a small smile, and Lee laughed as they walked back to the barn.

"I think you'd really like my brother, Sen Su," Lee said. "He used to show me stuff like this all the time."

.

In the morning, Zuko tied the saddlebag onto his ostrich-horse and mounted it.

"Here." Celia said, handing him a container. "This ought to get you through a few meals."

The pigs started making a racket and they all looked towards the dirt path that led into the farm, where they saw a group of men riding in on ostrich-horseback.

"What d'you think they want?" Gonju asked roughly, crossing his thick arms.

"Trouble." Zuko answered, his voice hard as he glared at the men.

As they drew closer, he recognized the same group of soldiers who had given him trouble when he first came to the town.

"What do you want?" Gonju demanded as the stopped in front of them.

"Just thought someone ought to tell you your son's battalion got captured." The leader said, grinning at the other men. "You boys hear about what the Fire Nation did with their last group of Earth Kingdom prisoners?"

"Dressed 'em up in Fire Nation uniforms and put 'em on the front line unarmed, way I heard it." One said, spitting into the dirt. "Then they just watched."

"You watch your mouth!" Gonju growled, his fists clenching at his sides.

The leader's face hardened and he moved forward on his ostrich-horse, but Zuko rode between him and Gonju, blocking his path.

They stared each other down for a moment before the leader finally growled, "Why bother rooting around in the mud with these pigs," he turned his ostrich-horse and the group followed him as they left the farm in a cloud of dust.

A sudden memory came to the front of his mind, of a servant bringing a small scroll to their mother, who told them with a tearful face that Iroh had lost his son, that Lu Ten had not survived the battle.

He gripped his reins tighter in his hands as Gonju and Ceila embraced, Lee watching after the men with burning eyes.

"What's going to happen to my brother?" The boy asked finally asked.

"I'm going to the front. I'm going to find Sen Su and bring him back." His father said firmly, holding a weeping Ceila in his arms as they walked back to the house.

Lee turned to Zuko. "When my dad goes, will you stay?"

"No," Zuko said, "I need to move on." He reached inside his bag, careful not to reveal the golden egg, for that would raise more uncomfortable questions, and pulled out a familiar sheathed knife. He handed it to the boy. "Here. I want you to have this. Read the inscription."

Lee pulled the knife out of the sheath, staring at it with wide eyes. "Made in the Earth Kingdom."

"The other one." He said wearily.

"Never give up without a fight." He read, and when he looked up, Zuko was riding away.

.

"Azula always lies," The prince murmured, staring up at the clear sky from where he laid on the yellow grass, his ostrich-horse drinking out of a small stream.

He looked down at the bulging pack and his fingers itched to open it and pull out the golden egg and inspect it. He still hadn't figured out what kind of creature it could have belonged to. None of the animals he knew of were golden and could lay giant eggs.

He let out a tired sigh, but the sounds of an approaching wagon made him sit up. Recognizing Ceila from the farm he stood as she ran over to him.

"You have to help," she panted, out of breath." It's Lee. The men from town came back as soon as Gonju left. When they ordered us to give them food, Lee pulled a knife on them! I don't even know where he got a knife! Then they took him away." Her voice broke. "They told me if he's olf enough to fight, he's old enough to join the army!" She buried her face in her hands. "I know we barely know you, but..."

"I'll get your son back," Zuko said, his voice hard, and Ceila dropped her hands to look at his with tearful eyes. His golden eyes flashed, and his hands closed into fists with his resolve.

.

Zuko rode into town on his ostrich-horse, and Lee looked up from his place toed to a post.

"Hey, there he is! I told you he'd come!" He exclaimed, his eyes shining. The soldiers stood a Zuko dropped to the ground and took off his straw hat, placing it over the pack on the animal's back.

"Let the kid go," Zuko said, eying the men that lined up in front of Lee.

The leader laughed. "Who do you think you are?"

Zuko's eyes narrowed, his hands clenching at his side. "It doesn't matter who I am," he replied in a hard voice. "But I know who _you_ are. You're not soldiers. You're bullies. Freeloaders abusing you power, mostly over women and kids. You don't want Lee in your army. You're sick cowards messing with a family who's already lost one son to the war."

"Are you gonna let this stranger stand there and insult you like this?" The leader demanded of the men, and one of them came forward. Zuko knocked him down, sending him sprawling in the dirt without even drawing his swords.

His eyes shot up, waiting for another soldier to run at him.

.

Something was wrong. Something didn't feel right. But she didn't know what it was and she snapped her jaws together in frustration as the uneasy sensation nagged at her.

She knew there was something happening outside of her egg. Something that made her scales itch and crawl.

Were the hands in trouble? Was her egg in trouble?

With the darkness clouding everything she had no clue, no hint to help her guess at what was going on.

She scraped uselessly against the wall of her egg with her talons, but couldn't do much more than squeeze her eyes shut and wait out the gut-wrenching feeling of helplessness that thrummed through her veins.

.

Zuko stood tall, staring down the leader after all the other soldier ran away.

The leader drew two hammers at his belt and held them aloft. The man spun and directed an earthbending attack at the prince with the hammers, pounding the ground with his feet to bring up blocks of earth, and sending them flying at Zuko with powerful swings of his hammers.

Zuko blocked the first few attacks with his swords, but the next one got throw and slammed him in the gut. He grunted, staying on his feet as he straightened and ran towards the man.

"Give 'im a left! Left!" An old man called from the crowd on onlookers.

"It's not a fistfight," his wife said, elbowing him.

"He's got a left sword don't he?"

A rock blasted through Zuko's defenses and he was thrown to the ground.

"Look out!" Lee called as the leader advanced towards Zuko, but the leader had the upper hand, and he slammed both of his hammers on the ground, sending a jut of earth under Zuko, who was thrown backwards in the dust to land hard on his back.

.

" _Mom?" the young prince mumbled tiredly as a gentle hand touched his shoulder. He rolled over in bed to see his mother leaning over him in the dim light of his bedroom._

" _Please, my love, listen to me," she said, pulling him into a sitting position. "Everything I've done, I've done to protect you." She drew him into a hug, holding him close in her arms. Though footsteps sounded in the hall, and she moved back, cupping his face in her hands. "Remember this, Zuko. No matter how things seem to change, never forget who you are."_

 _Droopy eyes watched as she stepped away from his bed and turned toward the open door that led out into a dark hallway. The last he saw of her was a black hood being drawn up over her beautiful, but saddened face, and then she was gone._

 _._

Zuko came back to his senses lying face up in the dirt as the leader walked up to him.

"Get up" Lee urged, tugging against the ropes that kept him tied to the pole.

Zuko's eyes twitched and his hands went for his swords.

The prince whirled up with a roar, fire twisted around him, throwing the soldier backwards. Zuko stood in the crackling flames, watching as the soldier got to his feet before he attacked again, sending the man into a wall, his own rocks falling down on him.

"Who...who are you?" The soldier gasped, too scared to try to get to his feet again as he stared up into the prince, who's flames flickered wildly around him .

"My name is Zuko," he announced. "Son of Ursa and Fire Lord Ozai." The died out, leaving his swords smoking as he slid them back into their sheath. "Prince of the Fire Nation and heir to the throne."

"Liar!" A man shouted in the crowd. "I've heard of you! You're not a prince, you're an outcast! His own father disowned him!"

Zuko ignored his taunting words as he stepped closer to the soldier who had once stood tall and sneered down at him, who now cowered up at him from the ground. He retrieved the knife from the man before turning and approaching Lee.

Ceila ran out in front of him, hiding her son behind her back as she glared at Zuko. "Not a step closer," she said, her face hard.

Zuko knelt on the ground before them, holding out the knife. "It's yours," he said to the boy." You should keep it."

"No! I hate you!" The boy cried, glaring at him with what seemed to be all the hatred in the world and turned his back on Zuko, allowing his mother to lead him away by his hand.

.

He remembered running through the palace halls, frantically searching for his mother. Running into Azula, who lied to him like always, and then his father, who ignored him like always.

He remembered the funeral, the flames that licked at Fire Lord Azulon's casket.

He remembered the smug smile on Azula's face as their father was named Fire Lord.

.

Zuko mounted his ostrich-horse, riding out of the town, feeling the angry glares of Lee and Ceila and the villagers on his back. He placed the straw hat back on his head as the sun dipped lower on the horizon. There was an ache in his chest, one that faded the further he got from the dirty little town. His eyes flicked up to the darkening sky, remembering his mother's parting words.

No, he wouldn't forget who he was. Never again.

He was Zuko, Prince of the Fire Nation, and nothing was ever going to change that.

* * *

 **wooh! that stretched out longer than i expected, haha**

 **thanks for reading~! ^-^**


	3. Dragons eat meat right?

**zuko _is_ pretty great isn't he? ;)**

 **i really enjoyed writing this one, as i'm sure you'll find out *wink wink wiggle wiggle***

 **haha, anyway, enjoy~ :3**

* * *

 **Chapter Three:**

 **Dragons eat meat right?**

* * *

Pale morning light filtered through the clouds, covering the land in a dim gray-blue light. Critters started shuffling around in the grass, and the winged hybrids started singing to each other; first one, then another, until the whole forest was very much awake.

Prince Zuko groaned, dragging a hand down his face as he squinted through his fingers, glaring at the slowly brightening sky. Why couldn't the sun wait just a little longer to wake him from his much needed sleep?

He sat up, looking over at the ostrich-horse who had it's head lowered, munching contentedly at the grass, the trees a whir of activity behind them.

They had traveled pretty far from the run-down town, stopping at the edge of a forest when the sky had grown too dark to travel safely any further.

Golden eyes turned towards the fields that stretched out in front of him for as far as his eyes could see, and from the lack of movement in the grasses, he concluded he was safe, for now.

He reached out a hand, pulling his pack towards him and taking out the package of food Ceila had given him not long ago. With a grimace, he placed it on the ground beside him, not longer hungry.

The light morning glow reflected on the egg in his bag, turning his attention on the new mystery in his life, and he picked it up gingerly in his hands. He gazed at it silently, wondering if he was going crazy. It certainly looked like some ancient shiny artifact, with its intricate grooves and ridges. But he _did_ feel it jump...right?

He sighed, setting it down in his lap. He needed to sell it, or bury it or something, just to keep him from agonizing over it. If he sold it, maybe he could get some decent food and clothes.

There it was again, the ugly twisting feeling in his gut, and he knew deep down that he didn't want to sell the egg, but he didn't know why he wanted it near him so badly. It was almost as if his body was telling him to protect the thing. As weird as that was.

He blinked as the sun peeked out over the clouds, making the egg gleam as it captured the light. It jerked, and his eyes widened as it seemed to lean towards the sun's rays.

.

There it is!

She squirmed with glee as she felt the warm light soak through the walls of her egg, filling her with a sense of strength and longing.

The egg had shrunk even further, and she felt more cramped now than ever, not able to twist around as much as she had when she first awoke. Her face was pushed into the side of the egg, and her body coiled tightly in the small space, twitching and cramping with the urge to stretch out.

This both saddened and annoyed her.

She couldn't see the hands as well as before, but she knew they were there.

Even when the light was gone, she could feel their presence. They were warm and gentle and very much like the light, though on a much smaller scale.

The egg strained against her talons as she pushed towards the light. She stopped then, staring at the golden walls in shock.

...Could she?

She renewed her attack with vigor, pushing against the shell with her entire body, shaking violently with the effort it took. She gnashed her teeth, eyes narrowing in concentration as she forced herself to push her body past anything she had made it do in the past.

With a sudden, echoing crack, sunlight poured into the egg.

A tired, yet joyous cry escaped her as she lifted her head out of the gilded cage that had kept her from truly feeling the sun. The glorious light that now brushed against her scales and sent blood rushing through her veins in a wild, powerful sensation she had never experienced before.

Her eyes were blinking rapidly as she adjusted to the bright light, and once everything came into focus, her gaze landed on a pair of wide golden eyes that stared at her with unsuppressed shock and wonder.

.

The Prince had seen plenty of dragons in his lifetime.

Curling bodies clutching tightly to the handles of priceless vases, soaring across magnificent paintings with red and blue scales, and climbing over the walls of the palace, sculpted with such finesse that their fangs and talons had him terrified until Ursa had calmed him with her soft words.

But this…

This creature that leaned out of its egg with curious, cat-like golden eyes was no tapestry or fancy jar.

 _This_ was a real, live, breathing dragon. Right there in his lap, staring up at him with those big eyes.

The ostrich-horse was stamping the ground uneasily, its eyes suspicious and wary as it stared at the small thing in Zuko's lap, but the prince ignored the animal.

His eyes trailed over the creature, taking in the scales that glittered and shone golden in the sunlight, the line of creamy soft fur that trailed down its spine and ended with a small tuft at its tail-tip, the leathery wings that were too small for its body, the twin horns that curved back away from its head, and the tiny talons that gripped his pants, pricking into the skin of his leg as it tried to crawl the rest of the way out of the egg.

The breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding let out in a whoosh before getting sucked back in with a sharp gasp.

There was a dragon.

In his lap.

 _Oh spirits._

Sweat trickled down the side of his face as he stared warily down at the slender creature, who was still trying to escape the egg, but ended up tripping and falling over with the largest part of the egg tumbling on top of it.

He blinked as it let out an indignant growl before trying to wrestle it off without much success.

Cautiously, he reached forward and lifted the egg shard off of it, surprised at the sudden lightness of it. Well a dragon did just crawl out of the thing, of course it wasn't going to be heavy anymore.

He was distracted by a little squeal and glanced down to see the dragon happily scampering across his leg towards his hand to sniff at it.

He jerked his hand back in surprise, and it merely looked at him in confusion before padding over to it again. This time, though rather hesitantly and under watchful eyes, he let the dragon grip his fingers in its small talons, brushing its muzzle over his palm as it sniffed him again. The soft fur that lined its face tickled his skin and he felt his worry and fear of the creature start to slip away.

It was still a baby after all, it couldn't hurt him, not really.

A whine came from the little dragon and it looked up at him, then back down at his hand. Zuko's brow furrowed, not understanding what it wanted from him.

It flicked out its tongue, running it across his hand.

Oh!

 _...oh._

It was hungry.

It was hungry and he had no idea how he was going to feed it.

 _I could really use some of Uncle's advice right about now._ He thought grumpily, gazing sightlessly down at his lap.

 _Dragons eat meat right?_

A sharp pain shot through his hand and he let out a yelp, whipping his arm back and staring down at the little pinpricks of blood that started dripping down from tiny teeth marks in his flesh. _Well,_ he thought sourly, sucking at the wound, _at least that question is answered._

He sent a glare down at the baby dragon, who at least looked apologetic enough to warrant his forgiveness.

He sighed, before remembering the food parcel and reached over, opening it up to peer at its contents. Spotting a bit of chicken, he plucked it out and turned to the dragon. "Here. And try not to eat my hand along with it."

It sniffed at the meat, then glanced at him, then back at the meat, staring at it as though wondering if it really wanted to eat that pale looking slice of whatever it was, then with a quick jab of its neck, snatched it right out of his hand.

Zuko felt a small smile slip onto his lips as he watched the little dragon eat. It was clumsy, often dropping the meat, then searching wildly for it before snapping it back up and continued to stuff its face energetically once again.

For a reason unknown to him, he could already feel himself growing attached to the small golden creature. Not because of giant fire-breathing beasts he'd heard of in the stories, but perhaps from the innocent way it gazed at him, as though he were something special. As if it saw only Zuko, and not just the banished prince with the disfiguring scar. Or it could be the way its legs wobbled as it walked, and the way its wings flapped about, all disproportionate from its body, or how a single sneeze could end up toppling the poor thing over.

He watched as it gulped down the last piece of meat, eyelids dropping lazily before it let out a huge yawn, its jaws stretching wide and its forked tongue rolling backwards at the tip before it curled up right there on his knee in a warm patch of sunlight.

Its body trembled with a low rumbling sound, similar to a cats purr, as it promptly fell asleep.

 _Spirits,_ he swore again, staring down at the should-be-extinct creature that had just made itself comfortable on him, _just what have I gotten myself into this time, Uncle?_

* * *

 **now that she's finally out of the egg, what kind of trouble is our little dragon gonna get herself into now? hmm...**

 **any guesses? ;)**

 **thanks for reading~! ^-^**


	4. When Rider says stay, you stay

**aw, you guys give me the giggles x3**

 **kinda short, but enjoy~ c:**

* * *

 **Chapter Four:**

 **When Rider says stay, you stay**

* * *

"Ack! No! Get down from-Arghh!"

The little dragon was currently perched on top of her person's head, feeling awfully smug about the fact she had escaped his grasping fingers. Her talons gripped tightly to the short strands of his black hair as his body swung about lightly from the back of the ostrich-horse.

She chittered in excitement as a breeze rocked her body, and she spread her wings, imagining herself taking flight. She had tried that earlier, but the spoilsport she was sitting on had grabbed her before she had the chance.

"Why won't you listen to me, huh?" Her person grumbled, glaring up at her with a frown. "I'm trying to keep you from hurting yourself, but _no._ You just go right on ahead. See if I care when you fall off."

She didn't know how long they had been traveling, but when she had woken from her nap and her person started packing up, she'd been zipping all over the place. Well, as far as her curiosity and her short uncoordinated legs took her before she was picked up by her person's warm hands.

Ever since she had hatched, she'd been fascinated by the creature. 'Her person' as she fondly called him. He reminded her of the sun, filling her with warmth and providing for her with his food, but also scathing whenever she ventured too far away or bit him a little too hard. But that was only once...and it was only because the gnawing sensation in her stomach told her to. And she vowed never to do it again when she saw the pained look on his face.

The memory had ruined her arrogant mood and she whined softly, sliding off his head to land on his shoulder, her talons digging into his shirt to remain steady as she rubbed her cheek against the scarred flesh by his eye in remorse.

"It's okay," he sighed roughly, reaching up a hand to scratch at her chin affectionately, "just...try not to hurt yourself, all right?"

She chirped happily, leaning forward to slide down his chest before jumping onto the green saddle blanket in front of him.

A shudder traveled up through her talons as she landed, and she looked up curiously at the ostrich-horse, who nearly jumped out of its feathers and quickly looked back at the path when it caught her stare. She blinked, tilting her head to the side. What? Was there something on her face?

Suddenly, her person jerked back on the reins and they came to a stop in the middle of the path.

His eyes were hard as he slid out of the saddle and led the ostrich-horse over to the bushes, tying it to a shrub.

"Stay here," he muttered, fixing his eyes firmly on her before he turned and slunk into the trees.

 _Wait! Don't leave me!_

She stumbled in her haste to follow him, falling off the saddle blanket and crashing into the ground. She rose to her feet painfully, shaking out her head as she waited for the ground to stop moving beneath her before she tried to chase after him again.

" _Whoa there,"_ a voice croaked above her as something snatched her off the ground, dangling her in the air before placing her on the ostrich-horse's back.

Her eyes widened in surprise as the animal stared back at her, intelligence flickering in the black depths.

" _Didn't the Rider say to stay here?"_

She blinked once, then twice as she processed the beast's words.

 _It can talk?! But how, its just an anim-_

 _Wait…_

 _..._ I'm _an animal._

Why did this bother her so much then?

She shook her head to clear her thoughts, but the hybrid mistook it as her answer.

" _When Rider says to stay, you stay. Understand?"_

She hesitated, then nodded mutely, not turning her wide-eyed stare from those black orbs.

" _Good."_ It warbled, then as if remembering something, its feathers ruffled uneasily before speaking again. _"By the way...what_ are _you exactly? I haven't seen anything like you before..."_

She opened her mouth, then closed it as realization struck her.

What was she?

She remembered her person mumbling something about 'dragons'. Was that what she was? Then again, she could just as well be an Uncle...whatever that was.

A rustling in the bushes distracted her from the question as both the and the ostrich-horse looked over as her person hurried back to them.

He sent her a surprised look, as if he hadn't expected her to actually do as he said, but he didn't mention it as he quickly untied the hybrid before leading it back to the path and hopped up onto it, urging it on with a fierceness she hadn't seen on him before.

"The avatar..." He muttered, eyes narrowing as they raced down the path, trees dwindling the longer they rode until a dry, brown rocky area spread out before them.

She clutched tightly to the saddle blanket, heart pounding against her ribs as she wondered why her person was so intent on this 'avatar'.

What was an avatar? Could she eat it?

Wait, no. Her person looked like he wanted to eat it. But maybe he would share.

Curiosity and excitement bubbled through her as the ostrich-horse ran as fast as it could, sending up plumes of dust behind them as they headed for a cluster of broken-down structures in the distance.

* * *

 **incase there's confusion,**

 _italics without quotations are thoughts_

 **and**

 _"Italics with quotations is animal-talk."_

 **i might change it up later on if it's too hard to tell the difference**

.

 **thanks for reading~! ^-^**


	5. I'd snap you right up

**just wait until our little dragon grows up into a big dragon, then we'll see if she's still cute (she probably will be tho lol, but what do i know?) ;3**

 **haha, so this chapter is definitely longer than the last one, and i'll try to keep them over a thousand words from now on**

 **enjoy~ c:**

* * *

 **Chapter Five:**

 **I'd snap you right up**

* * *

From her place on the ostrich-horse's back, she could see another trail of dust heading to the city a few leagues to their right, and if she strained her eyes she could make out a narrow snout and a long scaly green tail.

It reached the buildings and disappeared into a street before she could study it any further, and they still had a ways to go before they would arrive.

Questions started zipping through her mind as she stared at the abandoned town.

What was that creature? It looked like her. Well, from what she could tell from the glimpses she got between the dust clouds. Was that what she was? They both had long bodies and scales, though hers were a different color, but they could still be the same, right?

She was picked up suddenly and she yipped in surprise as she was stuffed unceremoniously into a bag. She wriggled in protest, trying to climb back out, but her person stopped her with a steely gaze.

"Don't come out until I return. I don't want my sister to see you." He commanded firmly, ignoring her plaintive cry as he pulled the strings and closed the pack, shutting her off from the sunlight.

It wasn't completely dark. The evening sun shone through the brown material enough so that she could see the other objects in the bag with her. But even so, it reminded her of the egg, and the way it had caged her in, nearly smothering her and keeping her from the outside world. A world with the sun, and a world with her person. A world she had grown to love in the short amount of time she had been out of her egg.

Her breath caught in her lungs as she stared at the opening of the bag, wishing fervently that her person would open it again and say he'd changed his mind.

But the pack remained closed, and a moment after, the shadow of her person slid off the ostrich-horse, landing in a crouch in the middle of a wide street. And then the creature ran into an alley, and she lost sight of his shadowy outline.

.

"Yes," Zuko growled, narrowing his eyes on his sister, "I really do."

"Zuko!" Aang exclaimed, blinking in surprise from further down the street.

The prince glanced to the retreating form of the ostrich-horse, and to the bag that bounced against its side. He definitely couldn't let his sister of all people find the dragon, and even though he felt a little bad about shoving it into the bag, the thought of Azula getting her hands on the baby creature had his insides twisting into painful knots.

On the opposite end of the street, his sister crossed her arms, that irritatingly smug smile on her lips. "I was wondering when you would show up, Zuzu."

His good eye twitched as the avatar snorted behind him, holding his hand in front of his mouth. " _'Zuzu'?"_

"Back off, Azula. He's mine." He ordered, sliding into a stance, pointing his fingers towards the two on either side.

Azula merely grinned, taking a stance herself, raising an arm with two fingers pointed skywards.

"I'm not going _anywhere_."

Wind rattled through the empty windows on the buildings lining the street, and Zuko flicked his gaze to Aang, but the airbender was still, watching the two firebenders with tired, yet careful gray eyes.

Then he looked at his sister, and when he saw the smile twitch at her lips, he barely had enough time to call up a sheild of fire to protect himself from the blue flames that shot out of her fingers. Though he was still knocked backwards into a building, a cascade of wood falling on top of him.

.

The ostrich-horse had finally stopped running, resting just outside of the town in the shade of a crumbling building.

A twinge passed through her gut, and she realized with a start that her person might be in danger.

Even if he said to stay, even if he commanded her to with stony eyes, if her person was in danger, she would go to his side. She wasn't an ostrich-horse after all. She didn't have to obey the word 'stay' all the time.

She pressed her nose against the opening of the bag, and feeling it give a little, pushed harder. Her back legs stretched against the bottom of the pack, helping her pry her head out of opening and into the fresh air.

She gasped in triumph before struggling to free the rest of her body, eventually dragging herself out onto the back of the ostrich-horse.

The creature looked over at her, its black eyes questioning as she spread her wings out behind her and leaped off its back. She wobbled in the air as she glided clumsily towards the ground before landing on her face and rolling to a stop in the dirt.

" _Where do you think you're going?"_

She looked back up into the hybrid's feathered face, suddenly looming over her, but before it could grab onto her like last time, she ducked into a small hole in the building behind her.

" _Hey!"_ It called after her, but her claws were scrabbling on the wood as she ran, racing towards the sounds of fighting. Or, at least she thought it was fighting. There was the sound of splintering wood and a crackling something or other that sent excited chills down her spine.

She squeezed her body through another small hole and popped out into an alleyway. She turned to her right, scampering across the dirt and poking her head out around a barrel to look into the street where she had heard shouting.

" _What do we have here?"_ A voice hissed overhead, and she jumped, letting out a surprised squeak as she looked up into a pair of bright yellow eyes.

It was bigger than she had first thought, when she had seen it racing across the ground outside of the town, and her head barely came up to reach its chest.

Its body towered over her, trapping her against the wall with its sharp claws and long tail.

She blinked as she stared up into the creature's face, which was twisted into a smirk, and she realized something.

It didn't have horns, and there weren't any wings adorning its back.

Her tail drooped into the dirt and she frowned.

This creature wasn't her kind.

" _If you weren't such a pretty little thing, I'd snap you right up."_ The scaly hybrid snickered, its tail sliding noisily across the dirt.

She blinked, then shook her head. How could she have forgotten why she'd escaped the bag in the first place? She had to go. Her person needed her.

She tried to jump over the hybrid's tail and run out into the street, but something clamped down on her own tail mid-leap and she yelped as she was thrown back, slamming her side into the wall and crumpling to the ground in a heap.

" _Did I say you could leave?"_ The creature snarled, reaching towards her. _"You're coming with me. The other mongoose-lizards will be so jealous now that I have a shiny pet and they don't."_

An explosion shook the ground, and she covered her head in her talons, still recovering from the battering that had her head pounding and her vision hazy. The mongoose-lizard had stumbled over its own feet, nearly crushing her as it toppled to the ground next to her.

This was her chance!

She stood shakily, blinking rapidly as her throbbing head sent the earth rolling and bucking under her talons. But she couldn't stay there, the creature was already getting to its feet, and she only had a few seconds before it started looking for her.

She dove towards the barrel she had peered around before, slipping into the shadows behind it and pressing herself into the ground.

 _It can't see me. It can't see me. It can't see me._

She chanted silently in her head, squeezing her eyes shut as she heard it stomping around on the other side of the barrel.

" _Where is it!?"_ The hybrid snarled viciously, swiping at a fallen board and sending it flying in her direction. It crashed into the building above her and pieces of wood rained down on her head and back.

 _It can't see-_

"Come!" A sharp feminine voice broke through her chanting and she stiffened as the creature hesitated, its eyes roaming across the barrel she hid behind one last time before slinking away.

She didn't dare break cover until the sound of retreating footsteps had gone silent, and only the wind was heard as it ghosted over the dirt and whispered through the holes in the buildings.

Slowly, very, very slowly, she stepped out from behind the barrel and stopped, staring around her as she waited for something to jump out at her.

Nothing did.

She let out a shaky breath and limped off down the street, keeping close to the walls of the structures in case she had to hide again.

It was quiet as she passed building after building, until she found herself very much lost with no way to find out where her person was. She didn't even know if he was okay or not.

She glared down at her talons, pitifully small against the ground.

It was her fault.

She shouldn't have left. She should have stayed in that horrible bag like her person told her to. Then she wouldn't be lost and hurt and tired and alone.

Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes before rolling down her cheek in fat droplets and splashing onto the dirt at her talons.

"There you are!"

Whipping around, her tear-filled golden eyes landed on the ragged form of her person, who was stalking towards her angrily.

.

"I thought I told you to stay put until I came ba-."

Zuko had barely taken another step before the little dragon had thrown itself at him, and he yelped in surprise, falling backwards and landing hard on his rear end.

He grunted, cracking open his eyes to frown down at the dragon that clutched at his shirt with its small talons and snuggled against his chest, burying its face into his clothes.

A wetness on the dragon's face startled him, and he watched as more tears spilled out of the creature's closed eyes. Could dragons cry? And why was it even crying to begin with?

The dragon shuddered against his chest and his eyes were drawn to an ugly splotch that darkened the scales of its shoulder and side. He touched the area lightly with a finger, and the dragon yelped, flinching away from his touch.

He stared down at the creature in his arms, which seemed so small and frail with the nasty bruise coloring its usually bright scales, and his features melted from annoyed to worried.

When the avatar and his friends had left, Zuko had retrieved the ostrich-horse so he could bandage up his injured uncle. It was then he noticed the baby dragon was missing. He needed to find shelter for his uncle, but the thought of leaving the small creature behind tore at his conscience, and he had gone out to search for it.

 _W_ _hat happened to you while I was gone?_

With a sigh, Zuko got to his feet and began the trek back towards where he had left his uncle and the ostrich-horse, cradling the unconscious dragon in his arms.

* * *

 **just you wait Mongoose-lizard! one day you'll feel sorry about messing with our little dragon!**

 **heh, thanks for reading~! ^-^**


	6. Where did you find a dragon?

**having a pet dragon would be the coolest, with the big ones that could fly you places and be all scary and stuff, and then the little ones that sit on your shoulders and hiss at people who get too close to you and its adorable and just, ugh, dragons xD**

 **well this little dragon is finally getting her name in this chapter! yay! haha,**

 **enjoy~ c:**

* * *

 **Chapter Six:**

 **Where did you find a dragon?**

* * *

A distant scuffling sound drew the little golden dragon out of her slumber, and she cracked open her eyes, blinking several times to clear her vision until she was able to see around her clearly.

She was in some kind of building, and despite the lack of windows and doors, it still had its roof and walls intact. Well, three walls were still intact. One side of the structure was open to the elements. The room was mostly empty, save for herself and a large funny-looking mound underneath a window near her.

She stretched out her body, then winced, gasping as pain bloomed in her side. She lifted her head, staring at the bandages that wrapped around her side. That must have been from when the mongoose-lizard had thrown her into the wall.

Shivering slightly at the memory, she carefully got to her talons and stepped off of the empty bag she had been sleeping on. She padded around the few items that were scattered about the pack and headed towards the opening in the wall, where she had heard another bout of muffled shuffling and what sounded like her person's voice.

Though just as she passed the mound, a quiet grumble sounded from under the blanket that was draped over it, and she turned towards it with wide eyes.

Wasn't her person outside? What was under the blanket then?

With light steps she padded up to the mound, and with a few quick flaps of her wings she jumped on top of it. The movement sent a jolt of pain through her side, but she gritted her teeth and ignored it.

The mound rose and fell beneath her talons as she walked across its surface before reaching the other side, stretching her neck to peer over the edge of the blanket to see what the sound was coming out of.

It was a person. But not _her_ person. It was a different person. A stranger.

She jerked her head back at the sight of the old, bearded man who slept soundly under the blanket. Who was this person? Why was he here? _Where was her person?_

"That's my uncle." The gruff familiar voice spoke from the opening in the wall as he came towards them and sat on the floor, placing kindling beside him.

She relaxed visibly, loosening her tensed muscles as she found her person.

 _So this is an Uncle,_ she thought, letting herself creep closer to the sleeping face of the old man to study his features, nearly touching his nose with her own, _I guess this means I'm not an Uncle either…_

"You should probably get off him before-"

The Uncle's eyes slid open, landing on the dragon and blinking in surprise.

With a startled squawk, she leaped backwards, her talons getting tangled up in the blanket; she tipped over the old man's side, floundering for a moment before she fell towards the floor, squeezing her eyes shut, and bracing for the impact.

But it never came.

Instead of landing on the hard ground, warm hands caught her at the last second, followed by the thud and grunt of her person as he landed on the floor face-down from where he had leaped over to catch her.

She shifted in his hands, peering over at him in concern, then as he raised his head to meet her eyes she glanced away sheepishly. "What did I tell you?"

"Zuko?"

"Uncle!" Her person's eyes widened as he pulled himself up into a sitting position, with her still in his hands. She looked up at his relieved expression and tilted her head to the side. Zuko? Is that what her person was called?

"Zuko..."

"Yes, Uncle?"

"Where did you find a dragon?"

She turned her head to look at the old man, who had pulled himself up against the wall and was staring at her steadily. A light shiver ran up her spine at his words.

 _A dragon...is that what I am?_

A ghostly sensation drifted across her mind, conjuring up a faded memory of blue scales and bright golden eyes.

Her eyes clouded as she tried to recall where she had seen the magnificent creature, but the oldest memory she had was that of the light and her person-Zuko's, eyes.

"I found its egg a few days ago, at first I thought it was some kind of ancient treasure until it moved in my hands." Zuko said, drawing her from her thoughts as he placed her on the ground and began to gather together the little sticks, placing a metal contraption and a teapot over it.

With a flick of his wrist, a small jet of fire shot out of his fingers and set the kindling alight.

She watched with fascinated eyes as the small flames licked at the bottom of the teakettle, hungry and alive; brought to life by her person, who seemed more and more like the sun the longer she stayed by his side.

As she stared at the fire, a warm tingling sensation spread through her, starting at her stomach and filling up her body with the warmth. It was like the time she first woke up in the egg, when the warmth had come from the light and her person's hands.

But this time it built up inside of her, growing hotter and hotter until she couldn't hold it in any longer, and she opened her jaws.

A tiny plume of flames puffed out of her maw, setting Zuko's pant leg on fire.

"What the-AGH!" He started, before crying out in surprise, swatting furiously at his pants until the small fire went out.

.

"She's a lovely little dragon, isn't she?" Iroh commented, watching intently as the flames caused the baby dragon's scales to shimmer and gleam, casting golden fragments of light throughout the abandoned building.

"She?" Zuko asked, his brows furrowing as he glanced down at the creature, who was curled up in his lap. When it had caught his pants on fire, it had crawled right into his lap and started whining apologetically with teary eyes.

"Yes, she." The old man chuckled, resting his hands on his large stomach. "What's her name?"

"Ah..." The prince started, staring blankly down at the dragon as if the thought of naming her had never occurred to him. Which it hadn't.

"It's...uh..." He trailed off, his face growing redder by the second as he tried to think up a name on the spot. His eyes were drawn to her sun coated scales and he was fixated for a brief moment, fascinated by the golden light. "...Kinri."

"Ah, a surprisingly poetic name coming from you, nephew, but fitting all the same." His uncle stated, eyes twinkling at the flustered look on the prince's face.

"Right, well, anyway," Zuko coughed into his fist, smoothly changing the subject, "Azula was the one who did this to you, it was a surprise attack."

Iroh looked down at his bandaged shoulder, wincing slightly. "Somehow, that's not so surprising."

Zuko reached over to the kettle and poured some tea into a small cup, handing it over to Iroh, who smiled and took the steaming cup in his hands.

"I hope I made it the way you like it." He said as his uncle took a sip of the tea, his face twisting at the tase.

"Mmm...good." His uncle grimaced, downing the rest of the tea in one gulp before handing the cup back to Zuko with a slight shudder. "That was very...uh...bracing."

The prince smiled as he took the cup and filled it again, once more proffering the tea to his uncle.

When he wasn't looking, Iroh quickly tossed the tea in his cup over his shoulder and out of the window behind him.

Noticing the little golden dragon staring curiously at him, he placed a finger over his lips with a smile and she blinked, then rested her head on Zuko's knee, closing her eyes. He dropped his hand back to the cup as Zuko turned back around.

"So, Uncle, I've been thinking." Zuko started as he poured himself a cup of tea. "It's only a matter of time before I run into Azula again. I'm going to need to know more advanced firebending if I want to stand a chance against her."

He glanced down at the dragon napping peacefully on his lap and at the bandages that hid the ugly bruises on her scales. He frowned, then looking back up he continued. "I know what you're going to say: she's my sister and I should be trying to get along with her."

"No," Iroh shook his head as he placed the empty teacup on the floor beside him, setting his hands on his knees as he gazed steadily at Zuko, "She's crazy and she needs to go down."

Zuko widened his eyes in shock, and Kinri shifted in his lap, looking up at Iroh as he stood.

"It's time to begin your training."

* * *

 **Kinri's name is a little mix of Japanese and Chinese with Kin (欽) meaning "gold" in Japanese, and Ri (日) meaning "sun" in Chinese.**

 **so her name basically means 'Golden Sun'**

 **how long did it take for me to come up with this name?**

 **...too long ;-;**

 **haha, well thanks for reading~! ^-^**


	7. Fire is the element of power

**oh my gosh, you guys...**

 **you guys are great x3**

 **enjoy~ c:**

* * *

 **Chapter Seven:**

 **Fire is the element of power**

* * *

"Lightning is a pure expression of firebending, without aggression." The Uncle explained, lifting the handle of the tea kettle and pouring the steaming tea into a teapot. He placed it back over the fire and filled a cup before continuing, "It is not fueled by rage or emotion the way other firebending is. Some call lightening the cold-blooded fire, it is precise and deadly, like Azula. To preform the technique requires peace of mind."

"I see." Zuko remarked as he took the cup that was offered, looking down at the liquid thoughtfully, "That's why we're drinking tea, to calm the mind."

"Oh yeah, good point!" Iroh exclaimed, taking a sip of his tea before correcting himself with a grin, "I mean, yes."

Kinri sighed, picking idly at the small patch of singed fabric on Zuko's pants.

As much as she loved being near her person, she was starting to grow bored of all the talking being swapped above her. She didn't understand most of the gibberish of lightning or firebending anyways.

Her person shifted below her and she blinked as she was set on the ground, both Zuko and the old man getting to their feet and walking out of the partially collapsed building.

She followed after them curiously, scampering across the wooden floor until she reached the stairs. Zuko and the Uncle were already at the edge of the cliff and she huffed, attempting to jump and glide down the steps, but a breeze blew in from her side causing her wings to waver in the air and she ended up tumbling horns over tail into the dirt below.

Squawking laughter erupted to her right and she glared with heated scales over at the ostrich-horse, who looked very much amused at her tangled and dirt covered self.

" _What are you laughing at, you big turkey?"_ Kinri growled, the words feeling foreign on her forked tongue and sharp canines. What even was a turkey anyway? She blinked in confusion before getting to her talons and shaking out her long body, sending little clouds of dust every which way.

" _You, little lizard."_ The ostrich-horse snorted, ruffling the feathers around its head and stomping the ground with a large clawed foot.

" _I'm a_ dragon _, not a lizard."_ She retorted, sitting regally on the ground in front of the steps and arching her neck proudly.

After all her wondering and guessing, she'd finally found out what she was.

A dragon.

And if what she had seen in her strange vision was really a dragon, then she was going to look pretty cool when she grew up.

" _A dragon?"_

" _Yup!"_

The hybrid stared at her, and she puffed out her chest.

" _What's that?"_

She fell on her side, all her haughtiness gone with that simple question.

" _You don't know what a dragon is?"_ She asked incredulously, and at the shake of the creatures head she continued with an excited flap of her wings. _"Its a huge awesome scaly thing that can fly and breathe fire!"_

" _Riiight,"_ the ostrich-horse drawled, blinking slowly at her, _"and my tears are used in healing potions."_

" _Really?"_

" _No."_

Her wings drooped onto the dirt as her excitement plummeted. How was she supposed to know that other creatures weren't as extraordinary as dragons? Then again, now that she thought about it, she didn't really know that much about dragons and other creatures.

All she knew came from her own experiences, and from the faint vision she'd had, which wasn't very much considering she'd only hatched the day before. Literally.

A sudden surge of lighting arched over the side of the cliff, and she jumped nearly a foot into the air, the hybrid snorting in surprise right next to her.

" _What the-"_

The ostrich-horse started to say, but she was already racing off towards the old man and her person. They looked alright from a distance, but she had to make sure her person wasn't hurt.

Just before she reached them, Zuko had shot out his hand, and an explosion launched him backwards, nearly colliding with her as he landed, skidding back to land just in front of her and the Uncle.

She cried out, leaping on top of him and scouring every inch of him that she could get to as she searched for an injury, worry causing her scales to itch and prickle.

"Get off, Kinri." Zuko growled angrily, ignoring her whine as he got to his feet and handed her over to Iroh. "Hold her, I don't need her getting in the way."

Hurt pierced through her chest when the Uncle's warm calloused hands wrapped around her, gentle but firm as she tried to reach for Zuko, who walked away from them.

"Easy now," Iroh's soft voice rumbled above her and she looked up at the old man with dejected eyes, "he just needs time to sort this out."

She settled uneasily into his arms as the two gazed after the prince, smoke from the explosions billowing up into the sky.

.

"Why can't I do it?!" Zuko snapped finally, whirling to face his uncle. "Instead of lightning it keeps blowing up in my face...like everything always does."

Iroh sighed, getting up from the ground and approaching the prince. "I was afraid this might happen." He admitted, and the little dragon shifted in his arms, looking worriedly over at Zuko. "You will not be able to master lightning until you have dealt with the turmoil inside you."

"What turmoil?" Zuko fumed stubbornly.

"Zuko, you must let go of your feelings of shame if you want your anger to go away."

"But I don't feel any shame at all," Zuko argued, "I'm as proud as ever."

"Prince Zuko, pride is not the opposite of shame, but it's source." Iroh explained steadily, "True humility is the only antidote to shame."

"Well, my life has been nothing but humbling lately..." The prince muttered wearily, turning away from Iroh and the dragon.

The old man paused for a moment, thinking over something briefly before looking back at his nephew.

"I have another idea. I will teach you a firebending move that even Azula doesn't know." Iroh grinned widely as Zuko turned to look at him curiously, "Because I made it up myself."

The prince sent his uncle a small smile, and the tense atmosphere was lifted.

.

Kinri was laying on the ground in between her person and Iroh, who had found a long stick and was drawing strange shapes in the dirt.

She looked longingly over at Zuko, wanting to crawl into his lap like she usually did, but his words from earlier came back to her and she scrunched herself further into the dirt.

"Fire is the element of power." The Uncle started above her, sliding his stick through the dirt. "The people of the Fire Nation have desire and will, and the energy and drive to achieve what they want."

She blinked curiously at the little box the old man had drawn in the dirt. It didn't look anything like fire. She stretched her neck forward, sniffing at the symbol. But instead of the smokey heat scent from the other fire, she only got a nose full of dirt. She sneezed, and Iroh chuckled overhead, continuing on with his explanation.

"Earth is the element of substance. The people of the Earth Kingdom are diverse and strong. They are persistent and enduring..."

Kinri sighed, curling into a tight ball and sticking her nose under one of her wings as the Uncle talked on, his soothing voice drifting her off into sleep.

.

When she woke, the sky had darkened to a fiery orange, and Zuko and Iroh had moved a little ways off, making strange gestures with their arms and fingers.

She stretched out her body, wincing only slightly at the ache that clouded her mind for a brief moment before fading. As she was starting to get to her talons a sharp voice cut through the air and made her jump.

"Yeah! But I'm not going to shoot lightening at you!"

Blinking in confusion, Kinri turned towards the two, watching as the Uncle said something else before he turned away.

She started towards them, but stopped when her person stomped towards the ostrich-horse and hopped on its back while the old man bowed his head with closed eyes.

It was only when he raced off across the dirt in the direction of gathering storm clouds did she break out of her stupor.

"Wait! Kinri!"

But she was already gone, flapping her wings ferociously as she tried to follow her person, though the ostrich-horse was much faster than her, and she was soon left behind in a cloud of dust.

She coughed as the dust clouds settled, lowering herself to the ground as her injured side started to protest, but when footsteps sounded behind her she gritted her teeth and lifted herself into the air again. Her short legs weren't meant for running, and even though her wings were still too small for her body, she wasn't about to be taken back to the building when her person was racing off without her.

Her wings weren't yet large or strong enough to carry her over large distances, so every time she grew too tired to keep flying, she dropped to the ground to rest for a few precious moments before once more taking to the air.

The sky grew darker as menacing clouds rolled in overhead, blocking out the warm sun and further draining her energy.

And to make things worse, rain started to fall, pelting her scales angrily as the wind picked up, catching her unfurled wings and buffeting her this way and that in the air before slamming her back down onto the ground.

Her bruised side protested along with the rest of her body as she dragged herself to a sitting position and squinted through the pouring rain.

Where was her person?

Her tail wrapped over her talons and she hunched her shoulders, but it didn't seem to do much against the storm.

She couldn't stop now, what if her person was lying hurt somewhere and needed her?

Shivering, she stood, bracing herself against the wind as she pushed onwards, this time on the ground, her sore wings folded tightly against her sides as she followed the ever fading tracks of the ostrich-horse.

.

Zuko stood on the top of a small rocky cliff that jutted into the angry sky, glaring into the gray abyss that rolled with sinister clouds.

"You've always thrown everything you could at me! Well, I can take it, and now I can give it back!" He shouted, but the clouds ignored him, lighting flashing tauntingly in the grey depths, but came no closer to the fuming prince.

"Come on, strike me!" Zuko roared as the storm raged around him, "You've never held back before!"

Golden eyes searched the rolling clouds, but no more lighting flashed across the sky. The prince closed his eyes tightly as tears began to stream down his cheeks and he screamed wordlessly at the unyielding sky, then fell to his knees in anguish as the rain continued to pour and the wind grasped unceasingly at his clothes.

.

There was no telling how long he stayed up there, slouched against the retreating storm. He couldn't think or feel, his mind and body both numb from his emotional breakdown. And at first he didn't comprehend the scrabbling sound behind him was something small climbing up the side of the cliff. That is, until a weak cry reached his ears.

Zuko raised his head slowly, his body stiff and unresponsive from remaining in the same position for so long, and turned towards the edge of the cliff, eyes blinking in confusion at what he saw.

But it couldn't be...could it?

"Kinri?"

The little golden dragon heaved her mud-covered body over the edge, whimpering as she dragged herself towards him.

With a gasp he lunged towards her, ignoring his screaming muscles as he drew her into his arms, grimacing at the scratches and scrapes that covered her dirty scales and wings.

The dragon relaxed instantly, body shuddering against his chest as her exhausted eyelids slid closed.

"Stupid dragon...why can't you just do as I ask?" His voice caught in his throat, and tears started to leak out of his eyes once more as he looked down at the sleeping creature.

With a shaky breath, he wiped at his eyes and got to his feet, climbing back down to the ostrich-horse who was hunched against the rocks below.

It huffed at him as he came closer and he sent it a tired smile, patting its side with a hand before leading it back towards their shelter, the unconscious dragon tucked tightly against his chest.

* * *

 **heh...big turkey...**

 **well anyways xD**

 **thanks for reading~! ^-^**


	8. It's nice to see old friends

**is it just me or do teachers get together and plan to have all their tests on the same week?**

 ***sigh***

 **well finally getting to write this brightened my mood, so that's good at least haha,**

 **enjoy~ c:**

* * *

 ** **Chapter Eight:****

 **It's nice to see old friends**

* * *

" _Comfortable?"_

Kinri rumbled gleefully from her lounging perch atop the ostrich-horse's head, her tail curling around one of it's ears.

The beast just sighed, shaking it's head slightly so she wouldn't fall off as it continued to plod down the dusty path.

They had left the run-down building they had been staying in, and were traveling in the direction of the desert. At least that's what she'd heard the old man say. She didn't know what a desert was, but she guessed it was somewhere hot, because every day they traveled it seemed to get hotter and hotter.

Not that the heat affected her very much. It seemed that the more sun she was exposed to, the stronger and more at ease she felt.

She closed her eyes in contentment and ruffled her wings, stretching out her forelimbs. Her side no longer ached as it once did, and the ugly bruise had faded as well. Even the scrapes from chasing after her person had healed up quickly after soaking in some sunlight for awhile.

The old man started to groan and she arched her neck to peer over Zuko's shoulder to stare at the Uncle curiously.

She didn't really know how bad his wound was, all she'd ever seen was the bandages, but he hadn't looked so bothered by it before.

"Maybe we should make camp." Zuko suggested, turning in the seat to look back at the older man.

"No please, don't stop just for me." Iroh rasped, and her person turned back around.

Kinri tilted her head to the side as the old man let out several more exaggerated groans, and Zuko finally pulled back the reins with an annoyed expression.

As the two dismounted, she slid down the ostrich-horse's neck and stood curiously on it's back, watching as the old man sat down on a flat boulder.

" _Do you think he's okay?"_ She asked, flicking her gaze over to the hybrid, but before it could answer, a distant thudding reached her ears and she stiffened, the ostrich-horse letting out a startled croak a moment later.

"What now?" Iroh grumbled, but her person had already shifted into a fighting stance.

Kinri's eyes widened as the bushes and rocks around them started to tremble from the tremors that shook the ground. She whipped her head around towards her person, and the thought of him running after the danger without her struck her.

She leaped off the hybrid's back, latching onto her person's shirt with her claws as she landed.

"Wha-Kinri?!" He reached around his back but his fingers barely brushed her wings before she crawled into the wrappings around his stomach.

The thundering sound surrounded them now, but Kinri couldn't see past the bindings she had wriggled into. She didn't really think this through, but it seemed the only way to keep her person from flinging her to safety. With a frustrated huff she worked her way through the wrapping, trying to find an opening.

.

Zuko's eyebrows were knit together in agitation as he felt the little dragon squirming around on his back where he couldn't reach her. But he had a bigger problem on his hands.

Like the five men on rhinos that had him and his uncle surrounded.

"Colonel Mongke!" Iroh exclaimed cheerfully, setting his hand on Zuko's shoulder. "What a pleasant surprise!"

The prince sent him a confused look, but his attention snapped back on the man in front of them, the one his uncle addressed as Mongke, as he started speaking.

"If you're surprised we're here, then the Dragon of the West has lost a few steps." The man scorned, and he and the other men began readying their weapons.

"You know these guys?" Zuko asked, fingers twitching with the urge to grab at the writhing dragon on his back but not wanting to draw attention to it.

"Sure." His uncle said smoothly, rubbing his injured shoulder. "Colonel Mongke and the Rough Rhinos are legendary. Each one is a different kind of weapons specialist...they are also a very capable singing group."

"We're not here to give a concert," Mongke snapped, "we're here to apprehend fugitives!"

"Would you like some tea first? I'd love some." Iroh asked slyly, glancing over at a bearded rider. "What about you, Kahchi? I make you as a jasmine man. Am I right?"

Kahchi only blinked, the grip on his weapon not changing.

"Enough stalling!" Mongke barked, "Round 'em up!"

The man with the bogo suddenly swung the weighted chain at Iroh, who kicked it aside, sending it to wrap around the leg of Kahchi's rhino.

Flaming arrows shot towards him and he rolled across the ground, slapping the rear of the chained rhino as he rose to his feet. The animal ran, yanking the saddle the chain was connected to along with the man seated on it after it, dragging him across the dirt while Iroh waved cheerily after them.

The whistle of an arrow made Zuko twist around just in time to chop the flaming missile out of the air, sending a concentrated blast of fire at the archer that burned a hole in the bow and snapped the string, leaving it useless.

Iroh rejoined him as Mongke suddenly came forward, shooting fireballs at the old man who deflected each one of them easily.

Zuko ran around the rhino, dodging its thick tail as he leaped onto its back. The colonel only had time to parry one of the prince's flaming kicks before Zuko spun around a second time and sent Mongke flying over the beast's side.

.

 _There!_

Kinri popped her head out into the open, blinking at the ground that was spread out above her and the sky that loomed beneath her.

Last she checked it was supposed to be the other way around...

Her eyes fell on an upside down man who was getting to his feet a few paces away, and it took her only a few seconds to realize that _she_ was the one who was upside down.

The man strode toward her and Zuko, the feathers on his head dirty and crumpled.

Was he part bird?

Wait, that didn't matter right now.

 _This man-bird_ _is dangerous_ , she realized when she saw the rage ablaze in his eyes, _this man-bird_ _will hurt my person if I don't do something._

Fiery warmth spread inside her as the urge to protect her person from this unknown danger flooded through her. She growled ferociously, opening her jaws wide and shooting a stream of fire towards the man-bird.

It wasn't much, but it was enough to surprise him and give her person time to jump off the creature he was standing on and onto the ostrich horse that Iroh was already riding.

A masked man on a rhino was chasing after them, and she clutched tighter at the bindings, squeezing her eyes shut as he threw a flaming thing towards them that exploded on their right, covering them in black smoke.

When the ostrich-horse kept running, she cracked open her eyes, watching as the clouds of smoke rolled harmlessly behind them.

She relaxed, then squeaked as a hand closed around her and pulled her out of the bindings.

Kinri met her person's narrowed eyes with a nervous grin, but after a moment he sighed and her grin became a smile as she wriggled happily in his grip.

 _He isn't mad!_

His glare returned.

 _Ah..._

"It's nice to see old friends." The old man said, capturing her person's attention as they looked over their shoulders.

"Too bad you don't have any old friends that don't want to attack you." Zuko commented dryly, looking back at the Uncle.

"Hmm...old friends that don't want to attack me..." Iroh echoed thoughtfully with wide eyes as he rubbed his shoulder.

.

"Colonel Mongke, sir...is something wrong? You seem troubled."

The man in question was rubbing his temples, staring into the fire in the middle of their camp. He looked up at his bow-wielding subordinate with hard eyes. "Have you ever seen...is it possible…"

After a moment he sighed, shaking his head and turning his eyes back to the crackling embers.

"No, nevermind..."

The other man hesitated for a moment, then walked away in confusion, but Mongke knew the man wouldn't have believed him, or would've at least laughed at him for what he'd thought he'd seen…

A firebender who could shoot flames out of his butt.

* * *

 **xD**

 **that last part could have gone either way, and well...**

 **i thought a little humor would do nicely x3**

 **thanks for reading~! ^-^**


	9. I don't think this is a gamble

**whaaaat? two chapters in one day?**

 **haha, i was pretty excited for this one so i somehow ended up writing it all after I finished with the last one x3**

 **hope you enjoy~**

* * *

 ** **Chapter Nine:****

 ** **I don't think this is a gamble****

* * *

" _No!"_

Kinri growled, lashing her tail and arching her spine at the horrible object that her person was shoving towards her face.

"Get in the bag!"

" _NO!"_

Flames burst from her jaws and Zuko yelped as the bag caught fire, flinging it away from him. It landed in the sand and they watched it slowly become a pile of ashes.

"Kinri..." Zuko started with narrowed eyes, but the deep laughter of the Uncle interrupted him.

"It is quite alright, Nephew."

Her person turned to stare at the older man incredulously while Kinri puffed out her chest, proud of the way she escaped confinement in that horrible thing.

"But Uncle, we can't just waltz in there with a _dragon_! Everyone will notice!" Zuko snapped, pointing angrily towards the Misty Palms Oasis that rose out of the sand a mile or so away.

The old man chuckled, reaching out a hand to scratch underneath Kinri's chin. She let out a content rumble, not protesting when he picked her up and held her gently in his arms.

"Now, Zuko," Iroh began, absentmindedly stroking the creamy fur between her horns, "when was the last time anyone has seen a dragon?"

Her person shuffled awkwardly in the sand, the reins of the ostrich-horse clinking as it turned its head to watch them with impatient black eyes.

"Uh...since before you...slayed the last one?"

Shock and confusion rippled through her at those words, and she looked up into the wrinkled face of the Uncle. That couldn't be right, she had seen that one dragon in her memory...and the old man couldn't have slayed her kind, he was too nice. And old. Definitely too old.

His face twisted into a frown as thoughts and memories clouded his mind, before he sighed and gazed down at her with twinkling eyes.

"...Mm, though apparently it wasn't the last one."

Her person just looked confused, and was about to ask more before Iroh continued.

"Kinri, would you mind staying under Zuko's hat for now? These people might not know what a dragon looks like, but anything gold will surely capture their attention."

She blinked at his words, looking over at her person, who was watching her apprehensively, as if she would somehow set his hair on fire if she didn't like the suggestion.

Well, it was better than being shoved into a bag, and this time she would be with her person!

The old man held her out and she scampered onto Zuko's outstretched hands, crawling up his shirt and curling into a cozy ball on top of his head with a haughty flick of her tongue.

The straw hat settled over her, blocking out the sun somewhat, though she could still see through the woven material of the hat.

" _Finally,"_ The ostrich-horse grumbled, stomping one of its talons and sending up a plume of sand, _"I thought you guys would never stop talking. I'm so thirsty I could drink an entire river!"_

Kinri rumbled in amusement as they started towards the Oasis, Zuko leading the impatient ostrich-horse by its reins.

.

They had tied the hybrid to one of the shaded stalls, a block of ice keeping it busy as they walked towards a sandy mound that chattered noisily with voices as they drew nearer.

Movement caught her attention and she peered through the straw hat, her gaze landing on two men who watched her person and the old man with malicious eyes.

Her lips pulled back into a snarl, but they had entered the building, and the two men disappeared from her sight.

.

Zuko glared around at the suspicious looking men that loitered around the tavern. He could feel Kinri's talons scraping lightly at his scalp and he fought the urge to shudder.

"No one here is going to help us," Zuko sneered, "these people just look like filthy wanderers."

"So do we." Iroh pointed out with a grin from his seat at the opposite side of the table, several empty ice cups sitting in front of him. "Ah, this is interesting. I think I found our friend."

Zuko turned to look at where the old man was pointing, following his finger to land on an older man seated at a Pai Sho table.

"You brought us here to gamble on Pai Sho?" Zuko said in disbelief as his uncle got to his feet.

"I don't think this is a gamble." Iroh countered easily, and the prince stood with a scowl and followed the older man towards the Pai Sho table.

.

Those men were back.

Golden eyes narrowed in the shadows of the hat as she glared at the two figures seated at the far wall of the building.

She clenched her person's hair in her talons, assuring herself he was still there.

All of a sudden she was shooting upwards, and then Zuko and Iroh were moving.

She tried to calm her racing heart, but when one of the suspicious men stood she nearly pulled her person's hair out with how much she was tugging on it.

"Ow!"

She stopped when the man sat back down, and when a hand reached up to the hat and promptly squished her against Zuko's head.

"Is everything all right?" She heard the muffled voice of the Uncle as the hand retreated and she could wriggle upright again.

"...yeah." Her person mumbled, and she felt guilty for only a second before she remembered the men and whipped her gaze around to stare at the two once more, daring them to move.

.

"May I have this game?" His uncle asked as they approached the Pai Sho table.

"The guest has the first move." The man replied evenly, motioning for Iroh to take a seat.

Iroh smiled as he sat, placing the lotus tile in the center of the board.

"I see you favor the white lotus gambit." The other man observed, looking down at the Pai Sho table, "Not many cling to the ancient ways."

Zuko watched as the man bowed, cupping his hands in front of him while his uncle did the same.

"Those who do can always find a friend." Iroh added wisely as he stared at the other man calmly.

"Then let us play." The older man concluded as he reached forward, placing a tile on the board.

Zuko stared in confusion and curiosity as the two started to place tiles faster and faster, and the prince pulled up a stool and sat, continuing to watch the two. Then his eyebrows drew together as the last tile was placed, forming the shape of a lotus flower.

"Welcome, brother." The man said to Iroh, "The White Lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets."

Zuko grit his teeth in frustration as he faced his uncle, "What are you old gasbags talking about?"

"I always tried to tell you that Pai Sho is more than just a game." Iroh smirked, rolling a Pai Sho tile over his knuckles before clutching it in a fist.

"It's over!" A voice snarled impatiently, and Zuko whipped around as a man stomped over to the Pai Sho table. "You two fugitives are coming with me!"

Zuko's hat jerked violently and would have fallen off had the string not kept it on his head. He gasped as it suddenly grew hotter and he slammed his hand down on top of the hat, stopping Kinri from setting the thing on fire.

"I knew it!" The Pai Sho man declared loudly, pointing an accusing finger and him and his uncle. "You two are fugitives with a giant bounty on your heads!"

"I thought you said he would help!" Zuko snapped, muscles tensing as he prepared himself for a fight, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"He is." Iroh muttered calmly, sending the man a knowing look. "Just watch."

"You think you're going to capture them and collect all that gold?" The man demanded loudly, capturing the attention of the other men in the tavern.

"Gold?" One man questioned, getting to his feet, and at the word more and more men started to stand, some brandishing weapons.

"Uh..." The thinner of the two men faltered as he looked around at the growing crowd, "maybe we shouldn't…"

The other man ignored him, smirking as he stepped towards Zuko and Iroh, but was stopped when two men jumped between them. He scowled in annoyance before swinging his leg around and throwing the men away with an earthbending move.

The thin man noticed one of the attackers charging him and shifted into an earthbending stance, sinking the person into the ground.

In the confusion, the Pai Sho man had gestured for Iroh and Zuko to follow him, and the three slunk out of the rowdy tavern, unnoticed in all the chaos.

.

The moon shone brightly overhead while the man led the two of them to a flower shop on the other side of the Misty Palms Oasis, he stopped to peer surreptitiously into the night, and not finding any followers in the dark, shut the door behind them.

"It is an honor to welcome such a high-ranking member of the White Lotus." The man acknowledged, bowing to Iroh. "Being a Grand Master you must know so many secrets."

"Now that you played Pai Sho, are you going to do some flower arranging, or is someone in this club gonna offer some real help?" Zuko demanded as the man walked off towards the back of the room with Iroh and Zuko trailing after him.

"You must forgive my nephew," Iroh said apologetically, glancing back at Zuko, "he is not an initiate, and has little appreciation for the cryptic arts."

The man nodded in understanding, and knocked twice on the door, a small closed off window sliding open halfway, revealing the cautious eyes of a man.

"Who knocks at the guarded gate?" The man asked mysteriously.

"One who has eaten the fruit and tasted its mysteries." Iroh answered, smiling as the door creaked open, spilling light into the shop.

Zuko started to follow them into the room, but the door slammed shut in his face just as he reached it. He stepped up to the door, glaring silently as the little window opened and Iroh looked out at him.

"I'm afraid it's members only." Iroh said, "Wait out here."

The window slid shut again and Zuko's eyebrows twitched in annoyance as he stepped back, crossing his arms.

A strange smelling potted plant with curling vines and flowers caught his attention, but before he could sniff it, his hat, which had been resting silently on his head until now, jumped and writhed furiously, nearly choking him.

"Okay, okay! Geez!" He cried out, yanking his hat off before he was strangled to death. The dragon shot out into the air, flapping wildly around him as if checking to see if he was hurt anywhere, then settled on the table with the potted plant.

"Happy now?" He glared at her but she didn't seem to notice, and he sighed, crossing his arms again as he leaned against a pillar, watching her look curiously around the shop before padding over to the plant.

She sniffed at it, then stared at it for a moment with a wrinkled expression and promptly shoved it off the table.

"Kinri!" Zuko exclaimed as the pot shattered against the ground, reaching forward to snag her off the table. She saw him though, and with an excited chirping she leaped off the table and darted around the shop, evading his outstretched hands as she jumped from flowerpot to flowerpot.

He dove to catch one of the falling pots, sighing in relief as it landed safely in his hands, but another crashed down a few feet away and he growled, leaping to his feet and searching with narrowed eyes for the impish little dragon.

.

Kinri grinned cheekily, watching her person between two flower pots on a shelf where she was hiding.

This game was so much fun!

She couldn't remember the last time she was able to play with her person like this...

His eyes fell on her bright scales and she chirruped gleefully, dancing around his grasping fingers and jumping onto his head before pushing off and flying up to one of the wooden beams that held some of the potted plants up with strings.

"Kinri..." Zuko said slowly, his voice low and barely containing his frustration as he stepped closer, holding his hands out in front of him, "just come on down from there, nice and easy now..."

Golden eyes blinked innocently at him and Zuko smiled in triumph as she leaned towards him, only to grunt in surprise as she plowed into his chest, sending him sprawling on the floor.

.

With a groan Zuko opened his eyes to see Kinri peering down at him from where she sat on his chest.

"Bad dragon..." He mumbled wearily, and needle-like fangs glinted in the light as the golden dragon grinned, leaning forward to lick the tip of his nose with a forked tongue.

He couldn't help the smile that twitched at his lips, and he reached up to pat her head fondly. Despite the mess she just put him through, he couldn't find it in himself to get truly mad at her.

A yawn overtook his body, the fatigue from the day's events catching up with him, and the ground beneath his back felt more comfortable than anything right then.

He fell asleep there, with Kinri curled up on his chest, watching over the boy protectively as he slept.

* * *

 **this chapter was inspired by my cat, who knocked a box of stuff off the table and watched me clean it up xD**

 **thanks for reading~! ^-^**


	10. It was our pleasure

**i just love to read all of your comments and see what you guys think, it seriously makes my day whenever i see a new one posted (i check like every ten minutes lol)**

 **really though, thank you so much for reviewing**

 **enjoy~ c:**

* * *

 **Chapter Ten:**

 **It was our pleasure**

* * *

The squeak of a door opening woke Zuko with a start. He shot to his feet, sliding into a defensive stance. Instead of attackers, he saw his uncle and the Pai Sho man from last night staring at him calmly in the secret room's doorway.

There was a moment of panic when he remembered Kinri had been on him when he'd fallen asleep, but his brief fear was reassured as a shifting warmth around his torso alerted him to her presence inside his shirt.

Did she know they were coming? That she shouldn't be seen by other people?

That couldn't be, she was only a baby…

But she understood him and Iroh when they were talking, was that normal for a newly-hatched dragon?

Maybe he could ask his uncle later.

"What's going on?" He frowned, straightening out of the stance. "Is the club meeting over?"

"Everything's taken care of." Iroh answered with a smile, "We're headed to Ba Sing Se."

"Ba Sing Se?" Zuko repeated incredulously, "Why would we go to the Earth Kingdom capital?"

"The city is filled with refugees." Pai Sho man exclaimed calmly, looking over at Iroh. "No one will notice two more."

"We can hide in plain sight there. And it's the safest place in the world from the Fire Nation." His uncle said, shrugging in what seemed to be a mix of awe and amusement, "Even I couldn't break through to the city."

The shop door opened, and they turned, watching a young man enter the shop and close the door behind him, several slips of paper clutched in his hand.

"I have the passports for our guests," he started, then pointed over his shoulder towards the door, "but there are two men out in the street, looking for them."

Zuko looked out the small window, watching as the men who confronted them last night in the tavern stopped a man in the middle of the street and interrogated him.

The prince met his uncle's wide-eyed gaze, the two unsure what to do next.

.

The flower shop door slammed open, shattering a plant pot as it toppled from above the entrance.

With a sigh, the shopkeeper turned towards the two men who stood imposingly in the doorway.

He already had to clean up the mess left by the boy, he didn't need another broken pot on his hands.

"Hey, you. Where are these men?" The muscular one demanded, shoving a wanted poster in his face. "I got a tip that they're in your shop."

The shopkeeper closed his eyes and breathed in deeply before responding with a calm, even voice. "As you can see, no one is here, but us."

"We know all about your secret back room." The skinny one smirked as he looked at the other man. "Kick it down."

Now he was really irritated.

"Hey!" He yelled after Muscles as he ran at the back door, "That room is for followers only!"

The back door was completely blown off the wall, falling to the floor with a loud crash and a cloud of sand.

Of course they didn't listen.

"Some unlucky soul," Skinny commented idly as he stepped into the circular room, picking up a lotus tile from the ground, "has an incomplete Pai Sho set."

Muscles smacked the tile out of Skinny's hands with a snarl, sending it bouncing across the floor. "Let's go back to finding the girl."

The two turned, walking out of the store with an unamused shopkeeper staring mutely after them.

.

She did not like this.

She did not like this one bit.

Kinri growled in frustration, scratching at the lid of the large vase that trapped her in this suffocating blackness.

It was worse than the bag.

In the bag she could at least see a little bit of sun through the material.

But not in here.

There was absolutely no light in here, just like before she was awoken from her deep sleep.

But there was one thing keeping her sane in this cage of no-sun.

"Stop that Kinri, someone might hear you."

Even if he was nagging at her, she still had her person with her.

And that was better than being alone.

Grumbling, she retreated back into his arms, shoving her face into his chest to try to ignore the stifling blackness that surrounded her.

She just wanted to feel the sun on her scales again.

To feel the breeze under her wings and earth beneath her talons.

She just wanted out.

.

Zuko sighed lightly into the stale air, looking down at the shadowy outline of the dragon huddled in his arms who was trying her best, it seemed, to block out everything but his shirt.

It shouldn't be too long before they stopped, right?

The Pai Sho man said they could take them just outside the city in the flower pots, but with all of Kinri's squirming it felt like it was taking forever.

He felt a tremor pass through the scales under his fingers and he frowned, holding her closer.

For her sake, he hoped it was soon.

.

A light knocking from the outside of the jar announced their arrival, and Zuko let out a breath, reaching up to remove the lid.

Golden scales barreled past his nose, wings battering against his cheeks as the little dragon burst out of the pot and zipped up into the sky.

"What the-" The young man from the flower shop exclaimed in shock, squinting against the sun as he searched the sky. "What was that?"

"Uh..." Zuko faltered, glancing back at the pot before looking back at the man, sweat rolling down his neck. "What was what?"

"The thing that just flew out of the jar?"

"I didn't...see...um...anything."

The young man stared at him, and for a frightening moment Zuko thought he was going to get called out, but the man merely shrugged.

"Oh well, must have been a trick of the light. Anyways," He continued, gesturing towards a figure who was walking towards them, leading an ostrich-horse. "we were able to get you your ostrich-horse, but I'm afraid we can't take you any further."

"Thank you, any help is much appreciated." Iroh said smoothly as he stepped up to Zuko's side.

"It was our pleasure." The young man replied as the other man with their ostrich-horse arrived, and the two bowed, heading back towards the distant sandy mound that was the Misty Palms Oasis.

"And where did Kinri run off to?" Iroh started to ask, but was answered when a streak of gold plummeted out of the sky and crashed into Zuko, chittering happily as she crawled around his shoulders licking his cheeks while he stumbled and nearly fell.

"Argh! I get it, you're happy! Now stop that, geez." Zuko grumbled, rolling his eyes as he caught his balance. But a smile grew on his face as the dragon settled down, draped around his neck like a glorified scaly scarf, all the while rumbling cheerfully.

.

"Uncle, are baby dragons usually this smart?" Zuko asked, sitting with his back against a fallen tree trunk.

The stars flickered brightly in the night sky, shining down on their little encampment. The small fire in the center of the clearing was reflecting off of Kinri's scales as Zuko watched, enraptured by the golden light.

The little dragon was scampering across the ostrich-horse's back, sticking her head into the saddle-bag to sniff at the contents, probably looking for food, and losing her balance as the beast shifted.

The prince grimaced at the sight of Kinri flailing upside down in the bag she had fallen into while the ostrich-horse looked on with amusement, and shook his head slightly.

"Well," Iroh began, molten eyes glittering in the dark as he watched the young dragon fondly. "I never had the great fortune of meeting a newly-hatched dragon before...but I believe they are incredibly intelligent creatures, and the adult dragons have been known to understand human speech."

Zuko raised an eyebrow at the struggling dragon that finally managed to get herself out of the bag and was currently growling comically at the ostrich-horse.

"Right. Intelligent."

His uncle chuckled, resting his hands on his stomach as he leaned back onto the makeshift bed. "You should get some sleep, Nephew, we haven't much further until we reach Full Moon Bay."

Zuko nodded and was about to lay down before a thought struck him.

"Uncle?"

"Yes, Prince Zuko?"

"How are we gonna smuggle a dragon into Ba Sing Se?"

He was surprised he hadn't thought of it sooner. But now that he did, he realized with growing apprehension that Kinri was growing bigger every day. She could no longer fit snugly in both his hands. Now she was almost the length and width of his arm.

And the more he thought about it, the quicker it dawned on him.

How in the world would he be able to hide a growing dragon inside the walls of the great city?

'Cause it's pretty hard not to notice how sparkly she is.

And how she tends to stick her nose into everything.

Not even mentioning all the food she ate, the gluttenous thing was like his uncle in that sense, honestly.

"We'll worry about it when we get there."

Zuko blinked incredulously at his Uncle.

How the-

What-

 _Ugh!_

Zuko turned his back on the old man in frustration, barely registering the warmth of a small dragon nestling up against his stomach as he closed his eyes.

* * *

 **heh, i'd like myself a little dragon scarf :3**

 **thanks for reading~! ^-^**


	11. Always causing trouble aren't you?

**at the topic of pairings, i've yet to sort out the others, but i've decided that Zuko and Kinri will have more of a platonic love than a romantic one.**

 **mostly because it wouldn't make much sense for Zuko to have romantic feelings for a dragon, especially one he raised from a hatchling**

 **and** **it also has a little to do with how old she was when she-**

 ***cough*** **...well that was almost a spoiler x3**

 **.**

 **enjoy~ c:**

* * *

 **Chapter Eleven:**

 **Always causing trouble aren't you?**

* * *

Kinri sat beside the ostrich-horse at the edge of camp, flicking her tail and sighing impatiently as her person and Iroh packed up their meager belongings.

She had tried to help at first, but after knocking over the old man's tea filled teapot-accidentally, catching the corner of a blanket on fire-also an accident, and getting under Zuko's feet too many times, her person firmly ordered her to wait by the ostrich-horse.

With another sigh, Kinri dejectedly drew a talon over the dirt.

" _Stop sighing, it's your own fault for bothering the Riders_ _."_ The ostrich-horse snorted above her, tossing its head haughtily.

She made a face at it, and grumbling something about 'fledgling lizards', it turned and began munching on the sparse patches of grass.

A small rustle of movement caught her attention and she peered curiously at a tree not too far away. Something with a large ears and a bushy reddish-gray tail was scurrying around the roots, stirring leaves in its wake.

The tantalizing smell of meat reached her rose and her stomach gave a plaintive rumble. She hadn't eaten yet, and whatever that creature was that was nibbling at the acorns among the tree roots, smelled absolutely mouthwatering.

She didn't know if she was actually supposed to eat something that wasn't given to her by her person, but the empty sensation in her stomach made up her mind rather quickly.

She glanced over at the ostrich-horse, but it was still busying itself with the grass, and another look informed her that Zuko and the old man had their backs to her.

Exhilaration coursed through her as she slunk away from the others, cat-like golden eyes locking on the animal's bushy tail. Instincts from some unknown source instructed her to be as silent as possible, avoiding twigs and clumps of leaves as she neared her prey.

Though when she was only a few tail-lengths away, its head shot up, and Kinri stiffened, watching breathlessly as its large round ears swiveled about its head before stopping in her direction.

With a tiny squeak, it bounded towards the tree trunk, but Kinri had already leaped after it, nearly colliding with the animal against the tree. They both fell, and she snapped at it with her fangs, though she missed by a hair's-breadth as it sprang away from her, shooting across the ground.

Heart battering against her ribs, she chased after it, sped along with a few quick flaps of her wings.

The animal was swift and agile, dodging her jaws and talons as it leaped across the hard earth and sprang off trees and rocks.

She was growing tired by the time her prey had scrambled up a tree and disappeared into the branches, leaving her on the ground beneath it breathing heavily with a stomach that was still very much empty.

The thought of climbing up the tree after it played through her mind, though the creature was already out of sight and she doubted she could find it again in all the leaves.

 _Maybe my person will give me some food…_

She turned around and started walking back through the trees, but it wasn't long after padding around rocks and trees and squeezing through prickly bushes that she came to a conclusion.

She was lost.

Her stomach gave another painful growl and she whined softly, twisting her head around as she tried to find any kind of marker that pointed her towards the camp, though nothing popped out to her.

Another rustling stopped her in her tracks. Her heart leaped at the thought of potential prey filling her stomach, and she turned, expecting another bushy-tailed animal or maybe even her person coming to find her.

But she was met with a cloaked figure as it stepped out of the trees, staring down at her with yellow eyes as wide as her own. Then there was more movement as another person stepped out from the trees, taller than the first but just as surprised to see her.

By now something whispered at the back of her mind that she should hurry back to her person, that being seen by other people was dangerous.

But there was something about these two that told her she wasn't in danger. That they meant her no harm.

Then again, she hadn't experienced enough to truly understand the difference.

.

Something itched at Zuko's mind. An insistent feeling that something wasn't right, and that he should be aware of it.

Grimacing, he strapped his bag to the ostrich-horse and stared at the worn material for a moment before it struck him.

His eyes flicked to the empty space where he had made Kinri stay after the packing incident. The air escaped his lungs as he searched the clearing frantically with his gaze, but no sparkle of gold from her scales or scratch of her talons on the ground caught his attention.

Then his eyes fell on the tracks in the dirt, leading into the trees, and he was off, sprinting into the trees with his uncle calling worriedly after him.

There were smaller tracks within Kinri's larger claw tipped ones and he figured she must have been chasing something.

Leaves rustled overhead and he whipped his head up, looking for golden scales, though instead he met the beady black eyes and large ears of a mouse-squirrel. He narrowed his eyes, turning back to the tracks beneath his feet.

He pushed his way through some bushes, scowling at the spiny branches that clung to his clothes and poked at his skin. Though he stopped as his eyes fell on two figures with black cloaks that hid their faces from him as one of them reached towards something on the ground, the edge of a tattoo peeking out from their cloak.

A something that was very familiar, and sparkled like a thousand suns even under the filtered rays of light though the trees.

"Kinri!"

The two started at his yell, smoothly leaping away from the jet of fire he shot towards them. He tore himself out of the bushes, sliding into a firebending stance in front of Kinri

"Stay away from her!" He snarled ferociously, raising his arms in preparation for a fight.

The smaller one started towards him, fiery yellow eyes glinting angrily from the shadows of their hood, but the other stretched out an arm to stop them. They looked at each other, then back at Zuko, and then wordlessly retreated into the trees.

The prince watched after them in confusion, only sliding out of his stance when Kinri clawed up his pants and shirt to rest on his shoulder. He sent her a critical look, but not seeing any injuries he sighed in frustration, glancing one last time at the trees where the cloaked people disappeared into.

"How come every time we're separated you get into trouble?" He grunted, glaring at the little dragon hanging over his shoulder, but she wasn't listening to him, instead, staring back behind them.

Frowning, he stopped walking, watching her with sharp eyes.

Who were those people?

And why was she so interested in them?

.

"What should we do?"

The two cloaked figures watched the boy and the dragon from the shadows, amber and yellow eyes glittering in the dark.

"Let's go back for now." The taller of the two answered, "We need to report what we've found."

"What about the dragon?" The other asked, gaze locked onto the cat-like stare of the dragon as it left with the boy. "Shouldn't we keep an eye on it?"

There was a moment of silence as the taller one thought, turning their amber gaze to rest on the other.

"Can you handle this by yourself?"

White flashed in the shadows as the shorter one grinned.

"Of course."

The other nodded once, turning to face back the way they'd come from. "You know how to contact the others."

Yellow eyes glowed as the figure watched the back of the other as they walked silently through the trees and out of sight.

Once alone, the cloaked figure began following after the boy and the dragon, excitement and anticipation sending tremors through their voice. "I can't believe it...I'd imagined it, but...to think it was a dragon egg all along."

.

Zuko was quiet the whole way back to camp, and Kinri had her thoughts occupied as well.

Those people…

Why did they feel so...familiar?

But she couldn't have met them before. Zuko was the first person she'd come across when she hatched, and the Uncle not long after.

It didn't make sense.

Kinri shook her head and huffed, not liking all the doubtful thoughts clouding her mind. Zuko glanced at her, but didn't comment on her strange behavior.

"Was something the matter?" Iroh asked when they stepped back into camp, but instead of telling him about what happened, Zuko narrowed his eyes and started towards the ostrich-horse.

"We should go, we're close right?"

The old man nodded wordlessly, though his eyes were unconvinced as he mounted the hybrid behind her person.

" _Always causing trouble aren't you?"_ The ostrich-horse snorted, black eyes glittering as it looked back at Kinri.

She puffed smoke in its direction, but it didn't have the chance to retort as Zuko urged it forward, and they were off, traveling faster than they had before.

.

It wasn't long before the faint sound of a voice reached their ears, and with a glance at Kinri, the little dragon crawled into his collar, disappearing into the fabric of his shirt. With how big she was getting, it was a tight fit and there was an obvious bump where she was, but there was no other place to hide her, and she would set their bags on fire if he tried to put her in one.

The trees opened up on their right and a small farm came into view, much like Lee's, but this one didn't have any pig hybrids announcing their presence.

It was still and quiet except for the heaving grunts of a young girl, no older than ten, who was trying to plow the tiny barren field in front of a worn wooden house. It was a strange sight. Strange if only because normally the men of the family did the outside work. In his brief moment of confusion, the ostrich-horse had slowed to a stop.

"Nephew?"

At his uncle's voice, the girl's head shot up, staring at them with steely eyes before wiping the sweat from her forehead and standing up straight.

"Can I help you?" Despite the hardness in her voice, her thin shoulders were shaking.

Zuko found himself at a loss for words, but fortunately his uncle stepped in for him.

"I apologize for our sudden appearance." Iroh said kindly, sending her a smile, but she didn't relax her defensive stance. "Is there a man of the house? It's unusual to see a young lady like yourself doing the dirty work."

The girl narrowed her eyes, but the door of the house opened behind her and a frail-looking woman stepped out, interrupting what she was about to say.

"My husband is away for the war, so we do what we can to get by." The woman answered instead, clutching the door frame tightly as if it was hard to keep standing.

"Mother! What are you doing?!" The girl rushed to her mother's side with wide eyes, slinging the frail woman's arm over her shoulder to help her stand. "You shouldn't be out of bed!"

Zuko watched their interaction with a curling feeling in his gut. Something about them reminded him of Song and her mother.

He glanced back at his uncle, who seemed to understand what he intended to do in that mere look as the two dismounted.

Immediately the girl stiffened, shooting daggers at them with her eyes as Iroh slung their pack over his shoulder and Zuko took the ostrich-horse's reins in his hand, stepping forward.

"Not a step closer!"

The words coming from the little girl's mouth resonated painfully in his chest, the same words from Lee's mother echoing in his mind as he stopped in his tracks, not ten feet from the two.

"We're headed to Ba Sing Se," he stated simply, looking down at the reins in his hand, "so we wont need this ostrich-horse anymore."

The girl's gaze was still wary as he looked back up at them, but the mother smiled softly at him. "What do we owe you for this kindness?"

"But Mother! They-" The girl started to complain, but a look from the frail woman halted whatever she would have said next.

"A gift is a gift, it doesn't need to be reciprocated." Iroh said wisely, walking up to the other side of the ostrich-horse and patting its neck.

The girl didn't know what to say at that, and she looked up at her mother, who nodded down at her. She slid out from her mother, making sure she could support herself before walking wearily towards Zuko and his Uncle.

Zuko handed her the reins and she watched him suspiciously for a moment before taking them in her hands and backed away towards her mother, the ostrich-horse at her side.

The prince turned then, walking back up the path with Iroh next to him, but stopped when the child's hushed voice spoke out behind them.

"...Thank you."

Zuko didn't look back, he merely nodded, a warm feeling that wasn't from Kinri's scales squeezing his chest as he starting walking again, Iroh smiling knowingly beside him as he waved back towards the two.

"That was very considerate of you, Nephew." His uncle commented when the farm disappeared behind them.

"We're almost to Ba Sing Se," Zuko scowled, "we wouldn't have needed it anyways."

Iroh hummed happily, eyes glittering with something akin to pride, but Zuko ignored him and sped up his pace, not wanting his uncle to see the light blush flushing his cheeks.

* * *

 **ooh, i wonder who those two cloaked people were *eyebrow waggle***

 **and blushing Zuko is da cutest Zuko ;3**

 **thanks for reading~! ^-^**


	12. I believe in second chances

**i'm so excited and anxious at the same time for the next couple chapters x3**

 ** **thanks to you guys, i've had so many ideas bouncing around my head that it's hard sometimes to figure out which path i want Zuko and Kinri to take****

 ** **if the story veers towards the future pairing of Zuko and Jin, then certain events need to take place,****

 ** **but if the story more so involves our yellow-eyed stalker, then those events will be replaced with others****

 ** ** ** **or if things stay mainly on canon's path, then interactions between Kinri and other characters will be slim and it'll just be her running around causing mayhem for poor Zuko (she'll do that in all the paths tho lol)********

 ** **urgh, so many different choices x~x****

 **well, enjoy~ c:**

* * *

 **Chapter Twelve:**

 **I believe in second chances**

* * *

"Who would have thought after all these years, I'd return to the scene of my greatest military disgrace..." Iroh mused, then grinned broadly as he turned toward Zuko, the large floral hat on his head quivering as Kinri shifted beneath it, "As a tourist!"

His uncle had gotten the gaudy thing from somewhere, Zuko didn't even know where he got it from, but it was the perfect place to hide the little dragon since hiding her in their shirts would be too obvious. He'd been grateful at first for the solution to their problem, but now he was just getting annoyed.

"Look around." Zuko retorted, sending a glare at the other passengers on the ferry as he leaned against the railing. "We're not tourists, we're refugees."

He picked up the complimentary bowl of gray sludge they'd gotten when they boarded and took a sip, his expression widening in disgust before he spat it out over the edge. " _Ugh!_ I'm sick of eating rotten food, sleeping in the dirt. I'm tired of living like this."

"Aren't we all?"

Zuko glanced over his shoulder at the unfamiliar voice, spotting a young man not much older than himself leaning against a pillar, a strand of wheat drooping in his lips as he grinned.

"My name's Jet, and these are my Freedom Fighters," He introduced himself, stepping into the sunlight and gesturing to the two who walked up to his side, "Smellerbee and Longshot."

"Hey." The one called Smellerbee greeted in a husky voice, and the other, Longshot, simply nodded wordlessly.

Zuko scanned them with his eyes, taking in the hooked swords at Jet's side, the daggers at Smellerbee's, and the bow on Longshot's back.

By now he figured they were false names, but with everything going on it wasn't much of a surprise. He and his uncle had their own fake names, but Zuko was sure their identities were more important to keep hidden than these rough and tough hooligans with their mismatched armor.

All this evaluation took a span of a few seconds and he turned back to the water with a grunted 'hello', intending for their attempted conversation to drop then and there.

"Here's the deal." Jet began, his gaze on Zuko as he came nearer, "I hear the captain's eating like a king while the refugees have to feed of his scraps. Doesn't seem fair does it?"

"What sort of king is he eating like?" His uncle asked curiously.

"The fat happy kind." Jet answered drily, and in response Iroh's jaw dropped, drool dribbling down his chin.

"You want to help us 'liberate' some food?" The young man smirked, turning back to Zuko.

Zuko stared down at his gray sludge for a moment, his eyebrows lowering at the rotten meat floating on the surface. He raised the bowl and threw it over the side of the ferry, turning to face Jet fully with clenched fists.

"I'm in."

.

Kinri tried her hardest not to move under the hat, because she knew her person wouldn't like it if she drew attention to herself, but she wasn't exactly small anymore, and the balding head of the old man wasn't as comfortable as Zuko's.

She huffed in frustration, thin tendrils of smoke curling out of her nostrils before disappearing through the straw slits of the hat.

Realizing that would also bring attention to herself she clenched her jaws together, nearly crossing her eyes as she focused on her nose and willed the smoke to stay inside of her.

Her concentration was broken as her person's voice sounded nearby, it was quiet, so it was probably meant for Iroh's ears only, but of course she could hear it as well.

"Keep an eye on Kinri. I'll be back soon."

The Uncle's head moved underneath her talons as he nodded, and a strange thrill went through her as she processed her person's words.

Was he going somewhere? Where? Why was he leaving her with the old man?

Her scales prickled at the urge to throw off the hat and leap after her person, but with a click of her fangs she settled herself, the occasional twitch the only sign of her discomfort.

She watched impatiently through the slits of the hat as Zuko left with the three he had been talking to earlier, and Iroh lowered himself to the floorboards with a sigh.

The sky had grown dark in Zuko's absence, and Kinri nearly dug her talons into Iroh's scalp in her restlessness. She felt him wince as he reached up to his head and grasped the hat with one hand, and her belly in the other, swiftly setting her down beside him, the hat still hiding her from any prying eyes.

"Ah...roasted duck sounds nice..." He sighed, patting the top of his head with a bandana.

She stared at him incredulously, but his eyes were glazed and a bit of drool was dripping down his chin.

This was her chance!

She was about to squirm out from under the hat, but she remembered her bright scales would draw the attention of other people.

The hat would have to stay on then.

With another glance at the Uncle, she crept as quietly as she could away from him, the hat floating silently across the wooden planks as she followed her person's scent. There were a lot of people and their scents kept getting tangled up with Zuko's, and she also had to stay out of the open areas where people were pacing or sitting.

She stopped behind a pillar as someone walked by, her breath caught in her throat as she waited for them to pass her before once more sneaking closer to clump of shadows that smelled like her person.

Suddenly, one of the shadows detached itself from the others, followed by two more as it crept up the stairs.

It was her person!

She shivered in elation and skittered forward after them, and luckily it seemed that no one caught sight of the possessed floral hat that scurried across the floor.

The stairs were the hard part though, and it took her longer than she would have liked just to get up one step at a time while also making sure the hat didn't fall off.

She clenched her teeth in concentration as she pulled herself up the last step and onto the upper deck, her breaths coming in gasps as she looked around through the slits in the hat.

There was a figure standing guard by an open door, but they weren't looking in her direction as Kinri drew closer. It wasn't her person, of that she was sure, so she peered around the open doorway curiously as she looked for him.

There!

She scampered inside and up to the table where he was doing something with his swords and some bowls, but the figure outside called in quietly about a guard and immediately he turned and ran right past her with the same boy as earlier on his tail.

She was about to follow after them, but the tantalizing smell of meat wafted down to her and she raised her gaze to rest on the hanging carcases of several chicken-ducks above her.

Momentarily forgetting about her person with her empty stomach growling at her, she crawled over to the stove directly beneath them and stood up on her hind legs to reach the first handle. The hat fell off her, but she paid it no mind as she pulled herself up to the next handhold. Her talons closed around her next handhold, an empty cooking pot, only for her to wobble as it started to tilt backwards. She tried to flap her wings to regain her balance, but it was too late.

All the pots and pans on the stove, including herself, fell to the floor with a loud crash.

.

Zuko stiffened at the loud noise that exploded behind him and he twisted in alarm, eyes wide as he looked back at the kitchen.

"What was that?" Smellerbee whispered harshly from their place at the rope Longshot had shot up to them.

"Go, I'll check it out." Zuko ordered and the other scowled.

"Don't get caught or we'll be found out."

Zuko barely had the time to roll his eyes before he sprinted back to the door and looked inside. He could hear the steps of the guard quickly growing closer so he had to hurry.

His eyes fell on the fallen pots on the ground, and was about to turn back before his eyes caught the bright sparkle of golden scales as Kinri's head popped up from under a pan. Catching his dumbfounded gaze she grinned dizzily at him, attempting to drag herself out of the pile of cookware.

He felt his heart drop for a second before the nearby footsteps sent him rolling across the floor, scooping a confused Kinri into his arms and slamming his back against the other side of the table just as the guard stepped into the kitchen.

"Is someone there?" The guard called cautiously, walking towards the fallen pans, and Zuko slid around the other side of the table, holding his breath as the guard stopped walking.

Slowly, he peered over the top of the table, and seeing the guard not looking in his direction he took his chance and slid silently out the door, leaving a very baffled guard holding a large floral hat in his hands.

The rope was gone by the time he'd made it outside, and he grimaced as the guard began to walk out of the kitchen.

Zuko didn't allow himself to breathe until Kinri was safely inside his shirt and he was at the bottom the stairs, hurrying towards the huddled forms of Jet, Smellerbee and Longshot.

"Thought ya were a goner." Jet smirked, one bag tossed over his shoulder and the other at his side. "What made that racket anyway?"

"It was...uh, a mouse." The prince clenched his jaw, sweat slipping down his cheek as the three stared at him.

"A mouse?" Jet repeated, his eyes flashing with something Zuko couldn't identify in the dark. Disbelief? Suspicion? Amusement?

"Yeah, a really big mouse." Zuko swallowed, and they looked at each other before shrugging.

"Ok...well I'm going to pass out the food, you guys get yourselves settled." Jet instructed, passing Zuko's bag back to him.

With that crisis averted, Zuko let a sigh slip past his lips, sending a frustrated glance down at the not-so-surreptitious lump in his shirt.

.

"I thought I told you to watch her!" Zuko hissed under his breath as he sat down beside his uncle, who was busily filling his mouth with food.

"Ah, this hits the spot." Iroh cheerfully ignored him, rubbing his large stomach as he set down the empty bowl in front of him.

Zuko fumed silently as Smellerbee and Longshot joined them, Jet still handing out food to the other refugees.

"So, Smellerbee, that's an unusual name for a young man." Iroh surmised, looking over towards the smallest Freedom Fighter with curiosity.

"Maybe it's because I'm not a man, I'm a _girl_!" Smellerbee snapped, getting to her feet and stalking away angrily.

"Oh, now I see!" His uncle called after her, trying unsuccessfully to correct himself, "It's a beautiful name for a lovely girl!"

Longshot watched her for a moment before following after the girl and grabbing her shoulder, turning her to face him.

"I know, you're right. As long as I'm confident with who I am, it doesn't matter what other people think. Thanks, Longshot." Smellerbee recited gratefully, and the boy nodded firmly at her.

Zuko stared after Smellerbee and Longshot in shock, he hadn't realized she was a girl until then either.

He reached for his cup of tea, though noticing a flicker of gold he looked down to see Kinri inching her head out of his clothes and shoving her muzzle hungrily in the bowl of food in front of him. His eyes widened and he gasped, stuffing her back in his shirt.

"Somethin' wrong?" Jet asked as he sat cross legged across from the prince and his uncle, nearly giving Zuko a heart attack.

"No! Nope, nothing's wrong! Everything's just fine!"

Jet sent him another look, and Zuko fervently hoped Kinri wouldn't do anything suspicious again. Luckily she decided she'd had enough and he could feel her even breaths against his stomach as she slept.

"From what I hear, people eat like this every night in Ba Sing Se." Jet continued, turning his attention off Zuko as he looked down at the food before looking back up at them with a grin, "I can't wait to set my eyes on that giant wall."

"It is a magnificent sight." Iroh commented, and Zuko glanced at him.

"So you've been there before?" Jet asked eagerly, leaning forward in curiosity.

"Once." Iroh admitted, gazing down with distant, guilt-ridden eyes. "When I was a...different man."

"I've done some things in my past that I'm not proud of." Jet confessed, looking away from them before turning back, gesturing idly in the direction of the walls. "But that's why I'm going to Ba Sing Se, for a new beginning...a second chance."

"That's very noble of you." Iroh acknowledged with a nod. "I believe that people can change their lives if they wanted to." He glanced over at Zuko, who returned his gaze evenly. "I believe in second chances."

Jet stared silently at them, his blank face a mask of emotions.

.

Zuko laid on his side, using his arm as a pillow as the others slept peacefully around him, his eyes watching the dark waves rolling across the surface of the moonlit lake.

The little dragon stirred in his clothes, poking her head out of his collar and sniffing fondly at his chin.

He was starting to regret leaving the hat in the kitchen, but he couldn't go back and get it. So he was going to have to somehow make sure the Kinri-sized lump in his clothing didn't capture too much attention.

'Cause he's already doing so well already.

He sighed, reaching up with his free hand and rubbing the fur between her horns absentmindedly.

Kinri had caused him more than enough trouble on the ferry, so just how was he going to be able to watch out for her and keep her safe in the middle of a bustling city where a thousand things could go wrong if she happened to get outside, which he was almost positive she was going to try to do.

The odd sensation of being watched pierced through his muddled thoughts and sent a chill down his spine. He tensed, shoving Kinri back down into his shirt as he peered over his shoulder, roaming the still deck of the boat with sharp eyes.

There was hardly any movement or sound on the boat with everyone asleep, just the near silent steps of the guard on the upper deck and the small waves lapping against the sides of the ship.

Though for a spit second he saw them, and Zuko couldn't help but stiffen at the familiar sight.

Yellow eyes, glowing eerily in the dim light before disappearing behind a pillar as quickly as they'd appeared, leaving the deck empty and silent once more.

* * *

 **what would you guys want to see more of in the walls of Ba Sing Se?**

 **Jinko? our yellow-eyed stalker? canon based occurrences? or do you have any ideas/thoughts you'd like to share?**

 **seeing what you think would really help me decide which path to choose c:**

 **thanks for reading~! ^-^**


	13. If only he knew

**thank you guys so much for your thoughts!**

 **so no Jinko, haha, and we'll be seeing more of our yellow-eyed stalker soon (i'm glad i've made them intriguing enough x3)**

 **and lastly, Kinri can't go on a normal human date with Zuko because she can't take a _physical_ human form**

 **what does that even mean?**

 **the answer lies in the walls ;)**

 **enjoy~!**

* * *

 **Chapter Thirteen:**

 **If only he knew**

* * *

The large, distant shape of Ba Sing Se's walls loomed out of the thick fog surrounding the ferry, giving Zuko a sense of isolation from the rest of the world.

Well, maybe not entirely the rest of the world.

The prince shifted his gaze to land on the dragon, who was curled inside his shirt and around his waist like a warm scaly belt.

She didn't seem to like the fog and the lack of sun very much, not that he blamed her. It felt downright creepy...

His thoughts switched back to the night before, the yellow eyes watching him in the dark, and forewarning trickled through him like a heavy fog.

Those eyes were the same ones that belonged to one of those two strangers he had seen in the woods with Kinri, and he had yet to find out whether they were friend or foe.

If he was lucky he wouldn't have to.

But then again fate had a funny way of screwing him over.

Kinri stirred quietly and a second later he heard the footsteps coming up behind him.

He tensed, yellow eyes flashing malevolently in his mind before the confident voice of the young man with the hook swords reached his ears.

"You know, as soon as I saw you're scar I knew exactly who you were."

Zuko's eyes widened a fraction in surprise before narrowing, his fists clenching at his sides as he resisted the urge to reach for his swords. Did he know?

"You're an outcast, like me," Jet continued, and Zuko felt himself relax if only a bit as the other boy kept speaking. "and us outcasts have to stick together. We have to watch each others backs. 'Cause no one else will."

Zuko wasn't looking at Jet when the boy glanced at him, his dark golden eyes were focused on the unnatural lump around his stomach.

"I've realized lately, that being on your own isn't always the best path." Zuko stated calmly, and as the words left his mouth he felt the truth in them. Ever since he'd found Kinri's egg and reunited with his uncle, everything didn't seem so...dull as it had in the past.

Sure, Kinri was a handful. She spat fire at the bags he tried to put her in _for her own safety,_ and even set his own pants on fire not long ago. She also ate quite a lot for a creature her size, and he had to be careful with his fingers lest she snap them up with the rest of the meat he would hand her. Not to mention that most of the time she was either underneath his feet or getting herself trouble when he wasn't around.

But despite all that, she had taken his entire world and turned it all upside down and inside out.

Even though he liked to complain about taking care of a baby dragon-he certainly wasn't ready to become a parent yet in any sense-, there was something about her that brightened his days just a little bit more than it used to be.

And for that, he couldn't help but find himself, albeit grudgingly, growing more and more attached to the creature.

.

Jet put a hand on his hip, watching with sharp brown eyes as Lee and Mushi stepped up to the ticket booth.

He wasn't blind, he knew Lee and his uncle were hiding something. It was quite obvious if you had trained eyes like his own. He'd pilfered a few things in his past and he knew a suspicious lump of clothing when he saw one.

But there was something intriguing about Lee that put his curiosity and suspicion to the side.

"I think Lee would make a good Freedom Fighter." He proclaimed, a grin sliding across his face as the two persons of interest made their way towards the monorail platforms. "He's just trying to find his way in the world, like us."

"You don't know anything about him, Jet." Smellerbee retorted flatly, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked away.

"I know he didn't get that scar from a waterbender." Jet countered, rolling his eyes for good measure.

The boyish girl ignored his comment, looking back at him with a furrowed brow. "Besides, I thought we were going straight now."

"We are," He stressed, twirling the strand of wheat in his fingers. "And the new freedom fighters could use a guy like Lee." Jet turned toward the other Freedom Fighter with searching eyes. "What do you think Longshot?"

The archer blinked as he watched him wordlessly; the silent language that only Freedom Fighters seemed to understand.

Jet nodded slowly, leaning back. "I can respect that."

.

"Here. Take her."

Kinri blinked in surprise as her person pulled her out of his shirt and hastily shoved her into Iroh's, looking around to make sure no one had noticed the transaction.

At first she squirmed, wanting to be back with Zuko, but one of the old man's calming hands rested over her and she stilled. It was still pretty uncomfortable though, expecially with the Uncle's rotund belly taking over most of the space.

"That Jet guy keeps sniffing around. I don't want him to get any ideas." Her person growled under his breath, then jumped as said boy appeared suddenly at his side and slid into the seat next to him.

Kinri restrained the urge to growl. She couldn't see him, but from her person's reaction and the scent going through Iroh's shirt she could tell who it was.

She hadn't thought much of Jet before, seeing him as just another human who interacted with her person, but if Zuko didn't trust him, then she would have to be on guard too.

"So, you guys got plans once you're inside the city?" Jet asked casually, though a loud call from another man caught their attention.

"Get your hot tea here! Finest tea in Ba Sing Se!"

"Oh!" The Uncle exclaimed, waving a hand to get the tea-seller's attention. "Jasmine please!"

A diluted, yet pleasant aroma reached Kinri's nose and her wings ruffled slightly in curiosity. Though the next moment she nearly jumped out of her scales at the old man's noisy complaint.

"Blagh! _Urgh._ Coldest tea in Ba Sin Se is more like it." He grumbled, sending a dissapointed glare in the direction of the tea-seller. "What a disgrace."

"Hey," Jet said suddenly and Kinri turned her focus back to him and her person, "can I talk to you for a second?"

 _No! Don't go with him!_ The fur along her spine bristled at the thought of her person getting taken away from her when she couldn't do anything about it.

Zuko let out a heavy sigh and she relaxed. Of course he wouldn't leave her, he didn't trust the other guy anyways.

But when he _did_ get to his feet and walked out of her hearing range she nearly threw a fit, straining against the Uncle's clothes until he had to lay his hand over her to calm her once more.

"He'll be fine." He rumbled pleasantly and Kinri sunk back down uneasily, her tail tip flicking back and forth as she waited.

.

"You and I have a much better chance of making it in the city if we stick together." Jet declared, putting his hands on his hips and smirking at Zuko. "You wanna join the Freedom Fighters?"

 _If only he knew_. Zuko thought wryly, glancing back at his uncle and the ungainly lump of fabric that was Kinri.

 _But him knowing about her existence would be bad for all of us._

"Thanks," Zuko replied drily, "but I don't think you want me in your gang."

"Come on," Jet urged, grinning and holding out his arms, "we made a great team looting that captain's food. Think of all the good we could do for these refugees."

"I said no." Zuko quipped over his shoulder as he turned around and started walking back, leaving a disgruntled Jet behind.

"Have it your way."

.

It was only when a warm delicate scent made itself known did her thoughts stray from what could have happened to her person.

Her curiosity grew until she decided a little peak wouldn't hurt.

She ran her nose along the cloth until she found where the two edges met and tried to poke her snout out of it.

It wouldn't budge.

Frustrated she pushed harder, not being able to prevent her head from flying out of his clothes and smashing into the cup the old man was currently bringing up to his mouth, sending it splashing down to the floor.

.

Zuko's heart nearly stopped as he walked back to his uncle and saw the glittering golden head of the dragon sticking out of his uncle's shirt.

With a few quick strides he reached Iroh and hurriedly pushed her back inside his uncle's clothing.

He glanced over his shoulder, wondering if Jet had seen Kinri, but the other boy had turned, walking back to the other waiting Freedom Fighters.

"What are you doing?!" He hissed angrily though clenched teeth as he turned back to Iroh. "What happened to making sure Kirni isn't seen?!"

His uncle wasn't even looking at him, instead he was gazing down sadly at the tea puddle on the floor.

"I know you're not supposed to cry over spilled tea, but..." Iroh sniffed, his eyes shining with unshed tears, "It's just so sad!"

.

"I'm telling you," Jet articulated, glaring suspiciously at Lee and his uncle through the crowd as the monorail screeched to a halt on the tracks. "There hiding something, I saw it. It looked alive, and it _sparkled_!"

Smellerbee and Longshot gave him disbelieving stares before looking back at one another.

"So maybe they smuggled in their pet. Big deal."

"But it didn't look like any animal I've seen before!" He snapped, turning his glare on Smellerbee and the girl merely sighed, sharing another look with Longshot.

They made it to the train, and Jet steered them towards the car right behind Lee and his uncle's, turning up his collar so he wouldn't be recognized. The other two did the same, with Smellerbee hunching her shoulders and Longshot using his hat to hide his face.

As they took a seat, Jet stared down into his battered and scarred hands, his brows lowering as the golden horned head of the creature flashed through his mind again.

He clenched his jaw as he tried to recall what the animal might be, but it remained just out of reach.

Snapping his head up he glared in the direction of the two he'd met on the ferry, the familiar ugly feeling of suspicion worming its way through his gut.

 _I'll find out your little secret...just you wait._

* * *

 **so close yet so far**

 **i'll try not to keep you guys waiting for too long, there are a _lot_ of things that will be covered in Ba Sing Se, so sit tight!**

 **and thanks for reading~! ^-^**


	14. Just stay out of my way

**i keep coming up with all these other story ideas and i get so wrapped up in those that i tend to forget i already have one that needs to be updated,**

 **i do plan on publishing other stories, but i'll try to keep this one on the top of my lists until i see it through till the end :3**

 **enjoy~!**

* * *

 **Chapter Fourteen:**

 **Just stay out of my way**

* * *

Kinri squirmed excitedly at the strange new scents and sounds that assaulted her the moment Zuko and Iroh had stepped foot into the bustling city. Even when Zuko tried to keep her still with a firm hand she couldn't help the little twitches of curiosity that ran through her scales.

There were just so many new things around her! The mouthwatering scent of cooking food, the bright glitter of coins being exchanged, a jewel here and a sword there. The only thing keeping her hidden, other than her person's iron grip, was the overwhelming amount of people.

They were everywhere, their voices loud and grating against her ears as they jostled around Zuko, with their sweaty, dirty scent intense in her nose.

She wrinkled her muzzle, though when familiar heavy footsteps hurried closer she glanced up curiously, peering through the fabric of her person's shirt.

Iroh stepped up to Zuko's side, pleasantly smelling bright orange flowers in a vase held gently in his hands. She couldn't remember him leaving, but shrugged it off, finding the bright flowers more interesting. Apparently her person thought the same, sending the flowers a hard glare.

"I just want our new place to look nice," the old man grinned, winking at Zuko and elbowing him playfully in the arm, "in case someone brings home a lady friend~"

Kirni tilted her head to the side in bemusement, wondering what a lady friend was.

"This city is a prison." Her thoughts were interrupted as Zuko shook his head with a scowl. "I don't want to make a life here."

"Life happens wherever you are, whether you make it or not." Iroh replied in amusement, "Now come on, I found us some new jobs and we start this afternoon!"

Just as Kirni began to settle, a faint scent drifted towards her and she stiffened, her lips pulling back in a silent growl as she moved her head to peer around Zuko's side, narrowing her eyes as she made out three familiar forms in the distance.

.

Jet stared wordlessly after Lee and Mushi, his brown eyes sharp on their backs. Smellerbee and Longshot stepped out of the alley behind him, sharing an incredulous glance before Smellerbee spoke up.

"Jet, are you really going to follow them just because you want to know what their shiny pet is?" Jet didn't turn his gaze away from the two as she talked, light exasperation in her voice. "I thought we were starting over here, changing our ways."

"We are." Jet grunted, his brows lowering in agitation, "There's something more to their story, I'm sure of it. That...creature, it looked familiar..." He let out an angry sigh, running his hand through his shaggy brown hair, "Never mind, I just want to find out what they're hiding. That's it. Okay?"

Smellerbee and Longshot shared an uneasy look behind their leader's back, though didn't comment on his words.

.

"Well, here we are!" Iroh exclaimed cheerfully as they arrived at an apartment complex, a large horseshoe-shaped building with three stories.

Zuko opened the door to their second-floor room, frowning at the bland living space as he stepped inside and looked around. The living room had a simple stove, counter top, open windows and a couch in the corner. To the left was a sliding door that he guessed led into the bedroom.

Kinri began to squirm and wriggle in his shirt and he rolled his eyes, tugging at his collar so he could reach in and pull her out.

The dragon squeaked happily and immediately started exploring their new home, sticking her nose under the couch and scampering across the floor to inspect the cabinets and the bedroom door.

Zuko felt a smile twitch at the corner of his lips, though it disappeared at Iroh's pleasant chuckle. "At least Kinri likes it." He placed the vase of orange flowers on the counter and stepped back to give the room an appraising eye. "It just needs a few more touches, but that can wait, we have a job to get to."

Following his uncle's gaze, Zuko looked over at Kinri, who had managed to nudge open the bedroom doors and was digging around the small closet. As if reading his thoughts, Iroh smiled gently, "She'll be fine here, you can't carry her around in your shirt anymore you know."

Zuko nodded glumly, walking up to the bedroom closet and crouching down, his eyebrow twitching at the mess the dragon had made of the bedding. "Kinri?"

The dragon stuck her head out of the pile of sheets, cat-like eyes glittering excitedly when she caught sight of him. She tried to wiggle her way to him, but her legs got wrapped up in the cloth and Zuko had to help untangle her with a sigh.

"Look." He started, but she reached forward to lick his chin and he grimaced, holding her out at arms reach, though it was kind of difficult with how big and heavy she was getting, "Uncle and I are going to go to work now. You need to stay here."

At his words the dragon visibly deflated, and he felt a pang in his chest at the forlorn look in her eyes, but his shook his head firmly, setting her on the floor. "You can't follow us either. You'd be too noticeable and it would be troublesome if you were caught."

He blinked in surprise as she crawled up his knee and chest, shoving her head into his collar and trying to worm her way into his shirt. With another sigh he pulled her back, ignoring her plaintive mew as he set her on the floor again. "No. You're too big for that."

He stood then, walking stiffly back to Iroh, though when he reached his uncle at the door the older man cleared his throat and glanced pointedly behind Zuko.

Already knowing what he would find, the prince set his jaw and turned around, meeting Kinri's slightly hopeful eyes.

" _Stay_ , Kinri."

Zuko swallowed past the strange lump in his throat as he watched the spark in her eyes fade. He nodded firmly, as if to convince himself-and not just her-that this was the right thing to do. And with a final click, he closed the door behind him.

.

Kinri stared dejectedly at the door she sat in front of, the one her person just closed. He'd only been gone for a few seconds, but the moment his footsteps left her hearing range it already felt like too long.

She played with the idea of following him, but a nagging voice at the back of her mind had her scowling and scraping the wooden floorboards with her talons.

" _Yeah yeah, when Rider says stay, you stay."_

A frown spread across her features as the ostrich-horse came to mind. Sure it was bossy and a spoilsport, but she couldn't help the way her chest twinged in pain when she thought back to the day her person had given it away. She liked to think it was good riddance she didn't have to bother with it anymore, but she knew that despite the way it had annoyed her, she still missed the big turkey.

She shook out her scales, not wanting to remain on those depressing feelings anymore, and padded over to the couch, planning to hop onto the cushions and take a nap to pass the time. Though a jiggle at the doorknob had her tense up and look over her shoulder.

" _Is it my person? No...this scent doesn't belong to him…"_ Her eyes widened as the scent registered and she dived under the couch just as the door creaked open, revealing the boy with mismatched armor from the ferry.

Kinri held her breath, unease prickling at her scales as Jet stepped inside the room and scoured the place with his eyes. He went to the bedroom door first and slid inside, and Kinri lost sight of him. She allowed herself to take in a breath, her heart beating wildly as the sounds of Jet rummaging through the closet reached her ears.

She imagined herself jumping out of hiding and burning him to a crisp. That would show him not to mess with them! But then she remembered her person saying it would be troublesome if she was seen.

Jet walked back into the living room and Kinri clenched her jaws together, holding her breath once more as he stepped closer to the couch. Her heart nearly stopped all together as went down on one knee, his hand resting on the floor not a foot from her nose as he lowered himself to look under the couch.

There was a noise outside the door and Jet stiffened for a second, then stood and hurried out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Kinri let out a shaky breath, unable to find enough strength in her legs to crawl out of her hiding place. Another shiver wracked her body and she wished more than ever for her person to come back. If he was here then she would know he was safe, and that she was safe, and that Jet couldn't hurt either of them if they were together.

.

Jet pressed his back against the wall of the tea-shop, casually crossing his arms over his chest and making sure no one was watching before peering through one of the windows and setting his eyes on Lee and Mushi.

He'd followed them to their place, and waited until they left before searching the apartment for the creature he had only glimpsed back at the station. He didn't get enough time to search the whole place though, which was frustrating. He'd just have to sneak in some other time. For now, he was going to see if he could gain any information from Lee and Mushi.

"I have extra string in the back." A man was saying, and Jett guessed he was the owner of the shop. "Have some tea while you wait!"

The man poured some steaming tea into two cups before handing them to Lee and Mushi and walking to the back of the shop.

"Blegh!" Mushi exaggerated as he looked down at his tea with disgust. "This is nothing more than hot leaf juice!"

"Uncle," Lee rolled his eyes, giving the old man an unamused look, "that's what all tea is."

"How could a member of my own family say something so horrible?!" Mushi growled, walking forward to grab the teapot. "We'll have to make some major changes around here."

Jet gasped as Mushi stomped towards the window he was looking through, and barely managed to evade the steaming hot tea that was dumped outside. Then with one last look, Jet slipped around the corner of the shop and into the alley, his brows furrowed in thought.

At first he didn't notice the cloaked figure trailing him, though when he saw a flicker of shadow he whirled around, whipping out his hook swords and glaring about the empty alleyway. "Come out! I know you're there!"

"You can't hide-" He gripped his swords tighter as his stalker jumped down from a roof and landed a few feet in front of him.

"Who are you? And why are you following me?" Jet snapped, stepping forward menacingly, though the other person was motionless, watching him with sharp yellow eyes.

"I suggest you stop whatever it is you think you're doing," The figure spoke suddenly, and Jet flinched at the ferocity in their voice.

"What are you-" He growled, then his mind flicked to his investigation of Lee and Mushi, and he narrowed his eyes. "Why should I do what you say?"

For a split second those yellow eyes flashed dangerously, and Jet tensed, lifting his swords in preparation for a fight. Though the moment passed, and they calmed themselves with a breath. Even so, the tension that hung in the air was thick enough to be cut with a knife.

With a last smoldering glance the figure turned, black cloak fluttering ominously in the light breeze. "Just stay out of my way."

"Hey, wait!" Though the cloaked figure disappeared into another alley, and Jet was left staring after them in irate confusion.

.

"Someone's in a hurry." Iroh remarked, raising an eyebrow and chuckling when Zuko slowed his quickened pace with a scowl.

Of course he was in a hurry. He'd never left Kinri alone before for so long, so what if something bad had happened to her?

When he was fighting his sister and the avatar, back when he was reunited with his uncle, he had only left her for an hour or so and she had gone off and gotten herself hurt. The same thing happened when he ran off to try to bend lightening and she had followed him despite the storm. _What if she tried to follow me again and got lost somewhere in the city? What if she was captured by people who would chain her up or sell her or worse? What if-_

Zuko opened their apartment door, his heart sinking at the dull, silent room that greeted him. Then all of a sudden, a golden light sprang from beneath the couch and barreled into him, knocking him over with its sheer size.

All the weight that had settled over his heart like chains were lifted, and he was left with a different kind of weight: a scaly, warm, wriggling, heavy dragon that he was growing too fond of for his own good.

He grimaced, and was about to pull her off when he realized she was shaking. It wasn't much, just a quiver here and there, but it was enough to let him know something was off.

His eyes narrowed as he stared down at her, taking in the talons that clutched ferociously to his shirt and pricked at his skin, the fur along her spine that was ruffled like the hackles of a dog and the eyes that seemed to be a bit more dilated than usual.

"Is everything alright?" Zuko blinked at his uncle's words, glancing up at him before looking back down at Kinri, who had stopped her trembling and was now making soft rumbling noises.

"Yeah."

 _It's probably nothing_ , he concluded with a sigh as he got to his feet, _she must have gotten lonely...or something._

"Would you like a pot of tea?" Iroh asked, placing a pot on the small stove while Zuko lounged on the couch with Kinri on his chest, idly petting the fur between her horns.

"We've been working in a tea-shop all day," Zuko grumbled sourly, rolling his eyes, "I'm sick of tea!"

"Sick of tea? That's like being sick of breathing!" His uncle objected, digging around in the cupboard beneath the stove and taking out the emerald-colored spark rocks and starting the fire underneath the tea-pot.

At the sudden appearance of flames, Kinri's head shot up in excitement, tendrils of smoke curling up from her nostrils.

"Oh no you don't." Zuko growled, clamping his hand over her muzzle before she could start spouting flames. "I don't need anymore of my clothes catching fire."

Kinri sent him a sheepish look, shifting her wings and grinning apologetically. Suddenly, a breeze fluttered through one of the open windows and Kinri stiffened, jerking her head up to stare out into the night with sharp, cat-like eyes.

Zuko tensed, and even Iroh paused in his tea making to glance out the window.

Everything was silent, the only movement being the clothing waving lightly in the breeze on a clothesline outside.

It was only when Kinri lowered her head back down to rest on Zuko's chest did the two of them relax.

"It was probably just an animal."

"Yeah...probably..."

.

Jet's heart was beating fast and hard against his ribs as he leaned against a wall to catch his breath. The apartment complex was far behind him now, far enough that he was sure that...that... _monster_ couldn't catch his scent, or hear his harsh breathing and pounding heart.

He'd known something was wrong ever since he'd laid eyes on that creature back in the station. He couldn't recall what it was back then. The name of it had eluded him, and it drove him onward with an ugly foreboding feeling to find out what it was. And now he knew, he remembered after one long look.

The bright scales that shone like gold-though from the stories they were usually red or blue-, the sharp talons that could rip most any creature to shreds, the leathery wings and curled horns, but most of all, the fire that they could breathe out of their fang-filled jaws.

It was a dragon.

But that was impossible right? Dragons were supposed to be extinct. Or at least, he'd heard that they were from stories shared around Fire Nation campfires moments before the Freedom Fighters ambushed them.

 _It must be a ploy._ Jet thought drily, spitting on the dirt path beneath his feet and glaring back over his shoulder. _They were hiding their existence so they could use them in the war as a trump card._

 _Lee and Mushi...they must be Fire Nation spies sent to burn down Ba Sing Se from the inside using that dragon. And that cloaked person from earlier must be with them too, that's why they wanted me to stop following them._

Jet's eyes glittered malevolently as he pushed away from the wall and stalked off down the road towards the house he shared with Smellerbee and Longshot, one thought on his mind, one goal: a promise.

 _I will make sure their vile plan comes to an end,_

 _...and that dragon along with it._

* * *

 **ooh, **i wonder what kind of scheme Jet will cook up, and what the yellow-eyed stalker is going to do now that they have competition ;)****

 **thanks for reading~! ^-^**


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